


SEAL Team - Mission Ice Breaker

by MirandaForever



Category: SEAL Team (TV)
Genre: Action, Action/Adventure, Boats and Ships, Developing Relationship, Drama, Espionage, F/M, Falling In Love, Friendship, Helicopters, Hostage Situations, Hurt/Comfort, Intrigue, Military, Minor Character Death, Minor Violence, Rescue, Rescue Missions, Sex, Spies & Secret Agents, Threats of Violence, U.S. Navy SEALs, Violence, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-12
Updated: 2020-02-04
Packaged: 2020-05-02 00:12:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 68,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19188028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MirandaForever/pseuds/MirandaForever
Summary: BRAVO's Mission retrieve 2 defecting Scientists from a Russian research ship but is Mandy's intel about a weapon correct? What is in the silver case? A helo crash puts Bravo in peril. Clay's hurt. Rays held hostage. Sonny's heart leads him astray & Jason tries to work out who to trust and who's telling the truth. *Edit underway-ready for new chapters soon *





	1. A well crafted blade

 

“Get down!!! ...GET DOWN!!! … Move! Move! … You!!…. Down..... NOW!!!”

The men on the bridge stand fixed to the spot as a wave of noise and commotion descends on their ship that only moments ago was peaceful.  
  
Ray trains his weapon directly at them “I said... GET DOWN! ....On your knees” he steps forward out of the dark walking towards them “DOWN… NOW!”

“Hey, you… asshole!!" Sonny appears behind Ray’s left shoulder “Hands behind your head!”

The men they are ordering around look at each other with blank and confused expressions. They have no idea what is going on but slowly, first one, followed by the others, they drop to their knees, raise their hands and fold them in the standard position behind their heads.

It’s late, most of the ship is sleeping when suddenly and unexpectedly, from nowhere out of the darkness these guys with guns arrive. Considering none of them were expecting this, then men are all acting relatively calmly, not putting up any resistance. No one says a word. They just stare passively at Ray, their eyes wide, all wondering the same thing. _What the hell is happening here?_

  
The only thing these men know is that they were here to crew a ship and now they find themselves, weeks away from home, stuck on a ship in the middle of the freezing ocean carrying out, as they see it, some pointless task they know nothing about. They have onboard some _foreign,_ but government authorised scientists and are on course to  an island in the middle of the ocean to “Sobirat’ obraztsy” or as the English-speaking scientist officially told them  _“collect samples”_  
  
It has to be said, that explanation never has never been accepted as the truth by most of the older more hardened, of the overly large number of crew, but the fact is, that's their orders, and none of them will be the ones to dare question them.  
  
Now in this moment, these invaders standing pointing weapons at them and that only confirms their suspicions, that there was always something more to this voyage. Something most of them had a bad feeling about.

All of those on the bridge are now on their knees, except one and Ray now trains the muzzle of his weapon towards him. As the bridge descends into an eery quiet, nervous, but composed atmosphere Ray repeats the same order "I said get down on your knees, NOW!”

The man standing doesn’t move and they have this calm stalemate, just staring at each other. Ray frowns watching his expression “Are you the Captain? Are...you. .. in charge?... Hey ... you understand English?“ Ray can’t tell if he understands or not and he wonders why the hell Clay is downstairs when they really need him here to translate “I said....”

“I heard you ..” the man cuts him off mid-sentence. He's a quietly spoken man, the complete opposite to his striking rugged build “..and I will stand. You are correct, I am this Captain, and this is still my ship” he declares still staring eye to eye with Ray, unflinching.

  
The Captain has been threatened many times in his life, and these combat geared Americans standing in front of him certainly don't cause him any fear. Sonny’s having none of it though and takes matters into his own hands. Hitting him hard across the back of the legs with his gun, causing them to buckle he pushes him down  
  
“He said get down asshole!... Understand that!”

The Captain doesn’t move his head staring straight ahead at Ray “I take it you’re in charge?” He gives a quick side glance at Sonny before returning his stares to Ray.

“No!...No, I’m not in charge.”  
  
Ray frowns as the Captain starts to laugh "Surely to god …not him?” he continues to smiles, taking another side glance at Sonny, who's now frowning at him  
  
Ray smiles, but doesn’t answer “BRAVO 1 this is BRAVO 2. Bridge secure. Copy!”

“Copy that BRAVO 2. Hold for now”

 

Ray covers the men with his weapon as they stay on their knees in front of him. Sonny's working on zip tying all their hands.

“Please, my men have done nothink. Please, do not hurt them”  
  
Ray raises his eyebrow, he's impressed with how good the Captains English is, despite his thick Russian accent “They are only family men, just trying to earn a living. They have nothink to do with what you are here for. They merely go where I order them”

  
Ray nods to acknowledge his words  “What’s your name?”

“Captain Rostov Vladim, this is my ship the Ice Breaker”

“Do you know why we’re here, Captain Vladim?”

He watches Ray taking a moment before he answers “No, but I can probably guess and I remind you, my men have nothink to do with this. They are here merely here to ensure the ship gets to its destination. Please...there is no need for this, everyone will stay calm”

Sonny sniffs, wiping the wet sea water that’s still dripping down his face from his hair. That swim from the helo drop was not the nicest of experience and now he can’t wait till this is done and they get airlifted back off and get dry.  
  
  
 “We’re calm. Just make sure _they_ stay that way, and no one will get hurt. You have my word” Ray keeps his voice reassuring but focused

 

Some of the sailors look nervously around to their Captain “We are all good here. Like I say, they are just family men, like yourselves.” Rostov nods and Ray nods in return as they both acknowledge each other and the need for cooperation. There is a quiet unspoken agreement between them, or at least for now.

Ray surveys the bridge for anything that might be of relevance to their mission, but despite the calmness of the situation there is a vibe of heightened tension in the air. They can all hear the bangs and shouting from the below decks. It's the rest of BRAVO starting the search for what they came for.

“You know you could make this easier on your crew and just tell me where they are?”

He smiles and laughs. Taking a moment, he lets out a soft sigh  “I’m afraid you are too late, if _they_ are what you have come for. _They_ are gone!”

 

Ray looks at Sonny and frowns. As calm as this man is, and the supposed understanding between them, there is something, call it gut feeling, call it God, but something makes Ray feel like this isn’t the truth.

“Gone? How the hell have they gone? You’re in the middle of the fuckin' ocean on some Russian tin can. What they just grab an uber and get off?” Sonny laughs, shaking his head. His patience is starting to run thin. He's cold, wet, hungry and now this Russian guy is giving him bullshit

“No! No but others came. They took them already”

Ray frowns watching the Captains face. He's not sure what to believe. Rostov seems convincing but there's still something niggling at Ray, something that doesn't make sense  “No!. No, I don’t think so. We've been tracking you, they would have spotted another vessel”

“I think he’s lying to you Ray. You really care about these men as much as you say, Captain? Well  let’s see!” Sonny picks one of the men up by the collar of his jacket  “STAND UP!!”  
  
The man is frightened as he's dragged to his feet and he starts babbling in Russian looking at the Captain. Sonny smiles, shaking him  “Shut the hell up!... I said shut up!!” The man immediately stops talking “Yeah I thought so ... you understand English. Is he right, have _they_ gone?”

The man swallows hard and looks at his Captain again, before he answers with merely the words “No English”

“He does not know what you are talking about. I told you, he is only here to crew the vessel nothink more. Please let him go.”

“So, if this is the truth, then where did they go ? Who took them?”  
  
  
Sonny laughs “He’s playing us Ray! Come on, Captain, help yourselves here. Make it easier on everyone. Tell us what we want to know. We had  a cold wet swim here, not my favorite thing so…you know, I'm feeling a little pissed right now which makes me a little trigger happy. So just give us what we want"

“Russians. Russians took them. Took them back" he smiles "I guess they knew you were coming?”

 

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

 

Jason, Clay, Trent and Brock continue moving rapidly along the ship corridors, busting open each cabin door and  securing  any occupants inside

“Move! Move, move, MOVE!!!” they scream at every door they open.

“Clear Right! Copy”

“Clear Left. BRAVO Four. Two secured coming out. Copy!”

  
They zip tie every individual who exits a door. Turning over each cabin, methodically searching, before bagging any paperwork, cell phone or gadgets into the tarpaulin sacks they have with them.

As Trent and Brock round up all the occupants, they’ve gathered from the cabins, nearly thirty in all, they move them along the floors towards the mess hall. Which they now make as their own secured prisoner holding pen.

“BRAVO 2, this is BRAVO 1 No sign of the HVTs yet. BRAVO 2 see if anyone knows their location. We need to speed this up and find them. We have exfil on route, copy"

“BRAVO 1We have secured the captain. He says...” Ray looks up at Rostov again trying to read his expression. Searching for some glimpse of the truth in it  “He's sayin'  that they’re gone! Copy “

“Gone? Gone where? BRAVO 2, what does he know? Does he know why we’re here? copy”

“Copy that BRAVO 1”

“BRAVO 2. Push his buttons. See what else he knows”

  
 

Ray frowns, he's still unsure if he believes the Captain to any degree. The men on the floor look up towards him, as Sonny pulls another guy to his feet "How about you ?”  
This one is younger, and he's already shaking with fear as Sonny holds him by the scruff of his neck. "Is he right? Have they gone?...Hey you! Yes, you! Are you listening?”  Sonny slaps him hard around the side of the head “Hey, anyone in there. Wake up! Where.. are… they?”

 

In a thick nervous, accent the guy speaks  “I don’t know what you talk about…. Who iz this talk me about? I know nothink.. I swear. I just ..I just... all I saw.. they” the young lad is scared and starts to babble in Russian making no sense

“Yustov!!!" The Captain shouts at him "Shut up! It's fine, just stay calm. Say nothink." he sighs and looks at Ray "I told you they are not involved"  
  
  
The young lad gulps fearfully. Returning to silence, lowering his head, as he won’t say another word to Sonny  
  
“You dumb fuck! “ Sonny shakes his head dropping him hard against the ships floor.

  
  
Rostov turns to Ray his tone has a little more anger now “I told you, Ray! None of my men know anythink. It is nothink to do with them”

Ray smiles, he's still trying to work the Captain out “Oh you know something. But, you know you’re not helping your men with this silence ”

 

Sonny crouches down in front of the younger man he's just dropped  “So you’re telling me you’ve been sailing on this ship, for what ... weeks? And you haven’t noticed a hot little scientist or where she went?”  
He pulls out his cell phone out. Sliding across the pictures loaded on it  "“Dr Sassi Renkov. You know where she is? " he looks around displaying the picture to them all "Anyone know where she is?"  
  
"How about you?” Sonny pulls the head of the nearest Sailor and holds the phone in front of him “No? How about this guy?” he swipes the picture revealing another person “You not seen him either?"  he sighs frustrated.  
  
He swipes back to the previous photo, the one Mandy gave them of Dr Renkov, for identification purposes. Sonny wasn't quite sure why they needed it, not when the ship was only crewed by sea hardened Russian men, and she was a very pretty little dark-haired woman. No, he'd have no trouble identifying her.  
  
Saying that Sonny had thought in the briefing about how _pretty damn hot_ she was, and on the Sonny Quinn scale of hottest terrorists he had scored her a ten. In fact, as terrorists went she was off the scale, so he had no problems having her photo and it was much more preferable than a lot of the target photos he'd had over the years. Not that he let on any of his scoring criteria to Davis.

Anyway, the fact she was _hot_ did not make up for the fact that her, and her friend, were traitors working for the Russians. BRAVO being asked to bring them back to the USA , made this mission one of those ones that Sonny was never able to get his head around comfortably. These sorts ops which were based on this “political PR” or as he liked to call it Bullshit! Were in his book something that never turned out well.

The guys in the line all side glance each other but still none of them say a word except for a few Russian comments under their breath.

“Oh, oh yeah this little hottie, she get your attention, did she?” Sonny laughs as he looks the young sailor right in the face only inches from him “Yeah I bet she did" Sonny smiles " I think you know exactly who we’re talking about, don't you? So, did she leave like he said?”  
  
Sonny sighs as the youngster breaks his gaze and in silence looks back at the floor. Sonny continues along the line, slowly,  pointing his weapon at each and every one of them “You know.... we got orders to find her, by _any means necessary_ Do you know what that means?” he bends down to Yustov the younger one that he scared earlier.  
Sensing his fear Sonny whispers in his ear, his heavy Texan drawl at its more threatening tone “That means.... I can torture  you …legally" he laughs "Well technically, not legally but no one’s gonna tell are they“ Sonny laughs louder, patting him on the cheek before he stands up. He lets out a big sigh.  
  
His head tells him they're Russian and that means they're probably more scared of the consequences of talking, than they're ever going to be of him  
“What you wanna do Ray?”

“Let’s wait for Jason. See what they find first”

 

The captain speaks up again “ I told you, they’ve  gone. A vessel picked them up yesterday”

Sonny turns on him and pushes him back down “And I told you asshole, too sit the fuck down!!"

Ray sighs, he can tell like Sonny that they’re getting nowhere “BRAVO 1 this is BRAVO 2. They sticking with the story. They’re gone" he sigh rubbing his head in frustration "The Captain says some boat picked them up yesterday”

“Copy that BRAVO 2” Jason rubs head as he tries to think for a moment “Shit!....HAVOC this is BRAVO 1. We need a check on the intel. Captain is saying the HTVs are gone, Copy”

“Copy that 1. Checking now.”

“HAVCO Sitrep with exfil? Copy”

“BRAVO 1. Helo is inbound. ETA 30mics”

“Copy that havoc!....BRAVO 2, keep at them. Something in my gut says they’re still here. Let’s find them before that exfil arrives!”

 

 

“Copy that BRAVO 1” Ray looks up at Sonny.  
  
  
As Ray nods his head, Sonny knocks the Captain flat to the floor. There’s a sudden deep intake of breath from the rest of the crew, and for the first time since they set them down on their knees, they all look round and move. Sonny turns his gun back “You! Turn the hell around”  
  
He looks at Ray who lowers his weapon on to them  as Sonny gets down beside the Captain “Now you better start talking, or things are gonna get really rough!”

 

 o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

 

Jason calls Clay and Brock  “We carry on searching. Let’s be sure they’re not here. Search the cabins again, something about this is not right!”

 

Clay opens the door and  enters the larger cabin at the end of the corridor.  This one has its own shower room, different from the other shared facilities, but unlike the others it appears to be empty. He guesses if it’s not now, then at one time this was a Captain’s cabin. He stands still and looks round the small space, taking in as many details as he can, his eyes scanning and searching for anything they might have missed.  
  
The table is a mess of notes and files. A cell phone and open laptop. A glass of vodka sits there, hardly started. Clay frowns, the whole layout of this room is telling him _something feels wrong for an empty cabin._

He continues his search, bagging the cell phone and laptop. Frowning, he scans the paperwork on the table, then gathering it all together he then stuffs it into the bag as well.

  
As he searches the bed area he feels the mattress with his hand, although the covers are thrown over, it still feels slightly warm to the touch, this gives him  a feeling of uncertainty and heightens a sense of alert inside him. He looks around the room again, looking for anything he may have missed. Then he spots it, there on the chair, a black lace bra and smaller, female sized clothing.

“BRAVO 1 this is BRAVO 6. I think you're right. I think the HVT is still here” Something really doesn’t feel right and as he turns and looks at cabin exit he notices the small slatted closet door beside it.

He readies his weapon, putting his hand on the door handle, just about to pull. As he does it suddenly flies open towards him and a woman leaps out.

  
In the frenzy that ensues, he feels a sharp hot pain as she slashes at his arm with a knife. It cuts deep, and he stumbles backwards from the sudden burning sensation in his flesh. Then as he sees the glint of the steel coming towards him again, he puts his hand up to push it way, but once again the steel slashes across the palm of his hand.  
  
"Awww FUCK!" he screams out as he stumbles back with the pain. It's sharp and cold, and at first he doesn’t feel it, but then it hits him and it's as if he touched a hot flame as the blood starts to pump from the wound.

  
The hot ache throbs and he can’t pick up his weapon. It makes his head rush and he feels like he might throw up. He clasps his hand into a fist trying to stem the blood flow but all it does is drip from between his fingers   
  
“ _Ahhh!_ ” he tries to shout at her but the words won’t come out as he grabs at the top of his arm with his free hand. She comes at him again and he swallows his anxiety. His arm feels like its dead, and his hand pumping with blood. He has a sudden mild panic that he may not be able to stop the force of it plunging into him “SHIT!!!” he puts his foot up trying to kick her back.

 

Jason heard his cries in the corridor and he’s there at the doorway, just as he gets there he sees the glint of the blade in the air about to rain down on Clay and he grabs her from behind just as Clay kicks out to keep her back.

The force brings her crashing down on top of him and for almost a moment too long, the force of the fall makes him close his eyes. Then he blinks, regaining his composure, he wraps her smaller hand with the knife, in his much larger grasp, smacking her knuckles hard against the dresser edge.  
  
At first she doesn’t let go and he does it again, and again, until finally she relents and the knife drops to the floor.  
Then in one move he turns her over, pinning her arms to her back and holding her head tight against the floor with his other hand.  He holds her firmly in his grip in position until she concedes and stops struggling "Keep still!"

"Get off me!" She still keeps fighting  against him “Awww, you're hurting me.”  
  
“Calm the fuck down then” he sighs taking a moment and not relenting, using all of his strength against her. Holding her, not letting her move one inch.

“Okay! Okay, I give. Just let me go!” she grits her teeth, the strength of his force against is really starting to hurt now “ I said Okay” she screams

 

She can scream and protest as much as she likes but Jason's taking no notice, instead checking on Clay, who’s holding his hand trying to contain the blood flow as Trent’s comes to the doorway

  
He's down beside Clay now and starts to apply pressure and dressings to his wounds. Jason turn his attention back to her and as he holds both her arms behind her back he now roughly, zip ties her hands tightly together.

“ _Aww_. geeez!" she squeals as the plastic tie pulls into place "Fuck! That hurts, it's too tight!”

“After what you just did to Clay, tough fucking shit!”

She  grinds her teeth trying to wiggle her hands a bit looser but only succeeding in making the plastic cut into her wrist “Fuck!” she grimaces _“Ahhh!_ Please, I can’t feel my hands!"

"Keep still then and it won't hurt so much."

"Fuck you! For god sake. I’m telling you that’s too tight.” she sighs realizing it's in vain. Jason’s just ignoring her “Fuck, let me go!” Finally, she relents in the struggle, deciding to conserve her energy she gives up trying to resist, in the hope that will relieve some of the pressure on her wrists.

He pulls her up and holds her against the cabin wall. She smiles to herself, closes her eyes and tries to relax, hoping the throbbing in her hands will stop. Her fingers are already swelling against the tightness, it feels like a burning heat of the plastic cutting into her flesh.

“How bad is it?” Jason frowns as he looks at Trent getting his medical kit out and starting to look at the wound on Clay's arm  
  
“It's deep. I’m gonna need to stitch it. What the hell did she use?”  
  
  
Jason holds up the knife on the table checking it over and holding it up to the light "That's a seriously well-crafted blade"  
  
  
“Looks like it's military issue” Trent looks around and checking it out, as Jason holds it up “Pheww! Hell, no wonder it’s so deep! Clay, let’s look at your hand”

The slash across the full width of his palm is till pumping blood as Clay loosens his grip for Trent to look. It's hard to do as his fingers have locked in a hold trying to counter the pain.  
  
Trent ties a large dressing around it, tight. He's hoping the pressure will make the blood stop. Clay's holding the other dressing to the top of his arm “Shit Trent! Fuck, that hurts”  
  
“Hold on I’ve got something for that" he closes his eyes to the pain, then Trent stabs him in the leg giving him some morphine. Then in less than a few minutes the space in the cabin starts to blur along with the burning sensation in his arm, and Clay relaxes. It's now a dull ache that he's only faintly aware of, rather than a sharp pain at the front of his mind.

 

“BRAVO 3 this is BRAVO 1. Get down here and secure the HVT. We have a medical situation ongoing.”

“Copy that BRAVO 1. On my way. Is everyone okay?”

“No … give you a sitrep when you get here“ Jason sighs “HAVOC this is BRAVO 1 sitrep. We have one HVT secured... “ he frowns at her as he pushes her harder against the wall,  trying to control the anger inside him for what she’s done to Clay. “We also have an ongoing medical situation with BRAVO 6. BRAVO 4 is treating on scene”

 

Mandy comes on the comms “What else did you manage to recover BRAVO 1?”

“So far only files , laptops, cell phones. Copy”

Mandy sighs “Did you find the metal case yet?”

“No not yet. We’re working on recovering it. Still searching for it and the second HTV. Will update sitrep ASAP "

"BRAVO 1. We need to find that case. Priority Copy"

"Copy that will update ... One out!”

 

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Sonny looks at Ray “You okay to hold here?”

“Yeah get going!” Ray sighs as holds his weapon up still staring at the Captain. The Captain doesn't take his eyes off Ray. He can feel the tension in the two Americans. He knows that something down below has created this sudden vibe in the air

“Everyone’s gonna stay cool here aint that right?” Ray looks asking Rostov  
  
"That is right. Everyone will be calm!"

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

 

Sonny makes his way below decks and arrives at the cabin doorway to find Trent treating Clay.  
  
Jason’s still holding her in position against the wall. He has his forearm against the back of her head holding her cheek flat against the wood panels of the cabin. Every so often  he can feel her keep resisting against it, and every so often he applies a bit more pressure "Here take her. Watch her though, she’s a bit of a wild one!”

“Oh, go to hell” She spits at Sonny as he takes hold of her.  
  
He grabs her really hard by the scruff of the neck and just pins her there “Now, that’s not very nice seeing as we only just met”

 

For a second as he looks round to check on Clay and she gets enough room to turn herself around, and as she does she lifts her knee against Sonny’s inner thigh. His reaction is just quick enough to avoid a sensitive injury and she finds herself back down onto the floor this time with Sonny's knee in her back  
  
“FUCK!!”  she squeals as he knocks her down to the floor  
  
“You little Bitch!!!” Sonny closes his eyes shaking his head at his near miss

Jason smiles watching Sonny grapple with her “I told you to watch her.“ He laughs, thinking about the possible consequences of Sonny’s inattentiveness

Sonny stands up keeping his boot on her to hold her still  “You move again you little bitch and this time I’ll shoot ya”

“I doubt that … " she laughs "seeing as your orders will be to take me alive, not kill me in cold blood. Idiot!”

  
  
“Get a picture of her over to Mandy. Check that's who she wants”

“Yeah sure thing. You know...." he whispers in her ear "... if you’re not our HVT, then I’m gonna throw you overboard to the sharks you can  be sure of that!”

 “Fuck you!”

“Oh, you’re a right charmer aren’t you. Just remember, sometimes in extreme situations we have to break the rules, and after what you did to my boy Clay there, then I’d learn to shut your mouth and be a bit nicer if I was you“

 

Sonny turns to look at Trent “How's Poster boy doing, is it bad?”

“She slashed him … with that!”  he points at the knife that Jason laid up on the table

Sonny looks at it and lets out a long whistle “Whoa! I haven’t seen one of these for years" he picks it up with his free hand as he sends her picture across to base "You know what that is don't you?”

Jason frowns and shakes his head

“It’s a karatel, like an elite, top of the range blade. A lot of Russian special forces use them, which makes me wonder how the hell you got this”   He looks down holding it in front of her face.

  
Sonny keep his eyes on the black combat knife. It almost looks too dangerous for the small delicate sized woman; he's holding down on the floor below his boot "What the fuck are you doing with a knife like this?”

She look round laughs “What do you think.” 

He frowns at her, he’s not sure if it’s the knife or the fact she wielded it with such force the scarier part about her.

“Oh, come on .. ." she frowns "Seriously you ask what I need that for? Lone female  on a ship  in the middle of the ocean, crewed only by  drunken Russian sailors. What do you think it was for, doing my nails?”

Jason has to laugh to himself the fact she’s managing to still be sarcastic even in the predicament she finds herself in. Sonny nods as Jason looks at him and shakes his head. “Well I think I’ll keep hold of this for now. Safer that way”

“You can’t that’s mine. I was given it”

“Yeah well that that’s tough shit! Anyway, where you’re going, you’re not going to need it, ever. They don't allow them in jail or wherever the hell they put traitors these days"

"I'm not going to jail" she laughs "Is that what you seriously think?"

 

Jason frowns as he looks at her laying there on the floor, still under Sonny's control. He now notices the things he hasn’t had time to take in before, like the fact she’s barely dressed apart from some black short like panties, a white low back vest top. She was in bed when she heard the commotion of them arriving and didn't have time to dress.

It’s not only that, that catches his attention, but he’s drawn to the raised lines of scars on her back. He frowns and looks at Sonny who has obviously noticed the same thing. Neither says a word but they're both wondering about them. They look like they were fairly deep before they healed, and they are in uniform patterns across her skin.  
  
Jason frowns staring at them. Then Sonny's concerned voice jolts Jason attention away from his thoughts “Clay you okay?”  

“Yeah I’m alright” he sighs  “Fuck, why is it always me?!”

“Oh well better it’s you, than it being me. You handle pain so much better ” he laughs “Hey Trent, he gonna be alright ?”

Trent looks round “It’ll hold for now, but we need to get him medical attention ASAP  the wound on his arm is deep. That’s a hell of a knife”

"Yeah sure is and sharp as hell"

 

“Get her up!” Jason’s annoyed now this is a setback they didn’t need, and her little attack on Clay is the reason they're behind and they've only found part of what they're looking for.

Sonny’s so pissed at her for what she did to Clay that he's still having issue controlling his anger towards her, and he pulls her to her feet with no regard to whether he hurts her or not.  He was going to search her, but he now also notices shes only wear the briefest of clothes. He holds her against the cabin wall as Trent finishes bandaging Clay's hand.

"Let’s get her upstairs then we’ll look for Vinchenckov” Jason nods in direction of the door "Trent you get Clay upstairs as well Make sure he's patched and ready to go when that exfil arrives"

 As Trent helps Clay through the doorway she catches Clay's eye. She almost apologises with her stare; she swallows hard as Clay stares her back and he smiles almost accepting her silent apology only to be greeted with a “Go fuck yourself”

Sonny grinds his teeth and pushes her head harder against the wall “I’m getting sick of you now.”

“Get her out of here Sonny she's starting to wind me up”

She coughs “Um…just one thing. Could I get dressed first?” she looks at Jason wondering about his answer. She’s not sure with her being the cause of Clay's injury that if she's pushed him too far for any reasonable demands. She smiles "Mainly because its cold up there and.... the fact that there are 30 sex hungry vodka fuelled Russians! Will probably save you a riot on your hands” she shrugs and smiles at him

Jason grinds his teeth and sighs "She's right. She can't go out dressed as she is." she's really starting to piss him off now and he watches her for a moment, he really can’t work her out. He’s wondering if the attitude is all bravado, stupidity or just plain arrogance on her part.  
  
 Mandy told them all about her before they left. That she had this super smart brain, was one of the top in her field. That after a visit to family the Russians had kidnapped her and she started working with the government there, that was 5 years ago. That she was now on board this vessel doing “research" which Mandy's intel suggested was for an unknown weapons test. A weapon they hoped to recover along with her.

  
“Okay“ he sighs “... Sonny get her dressed first”

 she turns around offering her hands that are zip tied. Sonny looks at her not moving  “well I’m gonna have a bit of difficulty if you don’t” she laughs

Sonny rolls his eyes around and looks at Jason

“Just watch her! And _You,_ don’t make any sudden movements or it won’t matter that they say about wanting you alive. Do you understand me?”

She nods

  
"Turn around" Jason pushes her round and Sonny takes the knife she used on Clay and it slices through the plastic of the zip tie with ease. Before letting her go Jason studies the marks on her back. Then not realising he's doing it but as he takes one more look he runs his gloved finger along one of the scars.

She swallows hard and almost freezes to the spot as he does

“How’d you get these?” Jason frowns

She closes her eyes but doesn’t answer him about that. In a calmer softer more nervous voice, she asks “Can I get my clothes?”

“No! You stay there”

She sighs “No! What the fuck? How am I supposed to get dressed then?”

"You stay put. I'll get your clothes; you're not pulling anymore stunts like you did on Clay"

 

He chucks her the black skinny combat jeans from the chair and she pulls them on. He searches through her stuff in the corner   
  
She sighs “The grey hoodie will do”

 

He nods “ You got a jacket? Like you said it's cold, the helo that’s coming is going to be colder”

“Helo?” she frowns

“Yeah, we’re taking you off here”

She smiles “ You know you need to get off quick then. They’re gonna be coming once they know what's happened”

“Where's Vinchenckov?”

She looks at Sonny as she pulls her arms in the hoodie and zips it up “They took him yesterday.. off loaded him on some fishing boat that’s all I know” she shrugs. She acts much calmer now and though Sonny’s still in a state of tension around her prepared for anything now. “That’s the truth, I swear “ she can tell he’d doubting her words “Though he’s probably swimming with sharks by now”

Sonny frowns

“That’s the truth too.” she sighs as she runs her hands through her hair “Can you pass me that hairband on the side. Please!” she smiles at Sonny, but he doesn’t respond  
  
“You can get it” Jason nods

She lets out a long sigh as she reaches over to the dresser and takes the band and ties her hair back

“How come they didn’t’ take you then ? I mean .. you don’t exactly blend in.”

She gulps “They didn’t find me." She watches Sonny and then waits for a moment as she looks at Jason to answer his question. “Rostov, he hid me .. he has um… a smugglers hole in the floor of the ship. I waited it out until they’d gone”

“Who's they?”

“Russians. If they knew you were coming they would have wanted to off load us. I don’t know what Rostov told them” she shrugs “But whatever it was  he convinced them I wasn’t here“  
  
 Jason frowns “How?”

She shrugs “How what? How did he convince them or how did they know you were coming?” She laughs “ How do they know anything?”

She sighs as she straightens her hair and rubs her forehead, letting out a deep exhausted sigh. The tiredness of the day is starting to creep over her, and she leans her head back against the wall. She looks Jason dead in the eyes and holds her hands out together indicating she’s finished dressing. Jason still watches her. She’s willing him to come closer,  but he doesn’t move.

“Get her upstairs”

Sonny’s not  falling for anything and her turns her round facing her head against the wall again pulling her arms one at a time behind her back and zip ties them tightly together again. This time there is slightly more room, but she sighs and shakes her head resigned to the fact Sonny won’t trust her at all “Now move!” he shoves her in the back. There's no way he's forgiving her after what she did to Clay.

  
  
Brock comes to the door “Everything okay?”

“Yeah! let’s gather this stuff up and get off of this ship. I’ll feel better then. Something about this doesn’t add up”

 

They take her laptop, phone and all the other paperwork on the table, that Clay put in the bag.

 Jason and Brock search the rest of the room and as Jason lifts the bed mattress he finds hidden some files and paperwork. They don’t have time to study it closer, but he has a quick flick through as he flicks the paperwork a photograph drops out. It's a black and white photograph, all wrinkled and creased. A woman, man and child. Well-worn with fold lines as if it’s been folded much smaller at some point.  
He studies it then puts all the paperwork in the sack but the photo he refolds along the lines already in it and puts in the pocket on his vest  “We clear?”  
  
Brock nods “Yeah seems like it

“Okay let’s go! HAVOC this is BRAVO one we’re ready for exfil”

“Copy that BRAVO one exfil  is fifteen mics out!”

 

 

 

 

 


	2. Don't open it

 

Sonny shoves her through the doorway of the mess hall. Shoving her again when she comes to a sudden and apprehensive stop in front of him.  
  
Taking a deep breath as he pushes her over the threshold, she's now faced with a tension filled room filled with thirty Russian men, who slowly look around to looks at her. They're angry, believing her to be the source of their current incarceration.   
  
There's a ripe smell in the air, long term unwashed, mixed with that of cigarettes and vodka. Some stare directly, not taking their eyes off her, some giving a quick glance then looking away. The atmosphere fills her with an anxious dread.  
  
There’s a low rumble of Russian voices, muttering under their breath. Comments about her, their distrust of the her and their anxiety about the situation  
  
“Suka” is a word she hears most, followed by random abusive mutterings. As she looks around “izmennik ….. _that’s right you...you traitor!_ ”   
  
She lifts her head looking up to stare at the individual.

Sonny gets the gist of the comments and pushes her down into the spare chair at the table. He smiles, leaning over her shoulder, whispering in her ear “Maybe, I should just leave you here alone. you know, go to the men’s room or something. Cos, I get the feeling you not little Miss Popular in here" he smiles "You ever seen a pack of dogs with a rabbit?”   
  
She closes her eyes pulling her head away from his words in her ear “Go to hell!”

 

Clay, who now has his hand and arm bandaged, followed by Trent, enter the room. Jason's just behind them at doorway as Ray pushes through with the last of the crew from the bridge, and the Captain, Vladim.  
  
“Tikho!...tikho…. dovol’no!”  She looks up as the Captain calls out telling them all to “Quiet!" He's had enough of their cat calling but the babble of Russian continues.   
  
Then one bearded large crew member stands up "Suka!” he points at her

“Tikho!” the Captain nods again asking for quiet.

 

Sonny looks at Clay, who's nervously biting his lip. Though he feels no love towards her he does feels awkward at the comments he can hear. “He’s telling them to be quiet. Basically, they're calling her a bitch and traitor” He raises his eyebrows and she avoids looking at him.

Jason looks at Rostov “Clay tell them, that’s enough and tell them to be quiet, that’s an order from me!”

Rostov looks at Jason and he smiles “Ah! You must be the one in charge, yes? You know, I already told them, and they obey my orders not yours”

Jason watches him biting his lip, there's something he doesn’t like about this man “Well then you tell them to shut their mouths. that’s my order. While I’m on board this ship, it’s _my_ orders that they need to listen to. So, you understand that!”

“Very well. Whatever you say!" Rostov smirks at Jason. then he gestures shouting  "Tikho! TIKHO!!” for them to quiet down.

  
“Jason, what you wanna do now? Exfil is ten mikes out” Ray looks at his watch as he informs him

“Yeah we need to get ready to leave but we need to try and find that case first”

 

Sonny see’s one of the men still eating, stuffing what likes a huge sandwich with contents that don’t even look edible, into his mouth  
”What the hell's that?” he watches the contents spill out on to the plate and frowns “You know though it's been a while . So, what you got to eat around this place?”

“Sonny.." Jason frowns ".. we haven’t got time for that. We need to concentrate and find that case”

“Yeah, yeah. I know that. I just want something quick before our long haul back” He heads into the kitchen area. Sniffing some of the pots on the stove and turning his nose up “You got any plain stuff, chicken or something?”   
  
He takes the lid off one pot and grimaces “What the hell is this gunk? Yuk, what the.. fuck!” The smell puts him off and he slams the lid down on the pan.

  
The Captain keeps his eyes on him “You’re hungry my friend? Wait, we fix you something to eat. Rolf...f” he snaps his fingers at the large, round faced man in the grubby looking apron “ .. fix our guests something to eat”

Rolf slides his chair backwards slowly getting up from his chair. As the legs scrape back on the floor Ray raises his weapon.  
  
“Sit down! “ Jason shouts. “I said, sit the hell down! No one moves unless I say so.”

“Syad’! syad!” Clay calls out as the tension in the room escalates

“Please! They mean no harm" Rostov  can also feel the uneasiness "They just get your man something to eat”

“I’m good I can manage” Sonny has his hand on the refrigerator door

“No, please you are our guests”

 

Jason frowns. looking over at Ray, he's wondering about this _spirit_ of co-operation. Something about it makes him uneasy.

“I don’t want no weird shit" he pulls at the door “… just some plain… ahhh! There look, chicken. That'll do me fine”

“No please, I insist. Let my cook, sort you a meal. Please..” he looks back at Jason “it’s no trouble. A gesture!”

 

“We don’t have time for this shit! Sonny get out of there, get yourself together”

Sonny doesn’t answer, he's still pulling things out from the fridge “Sonny!! Did you hear me? That’s an order.”

“Yeah I heard you, but Jace…I think you might like the sandwich filling I have here”

“Sonny really, stop pissing about. We don’t have time fo…. “ Jason stops mid-sentence as Sonny holds up a small silver case he's found in the bottom of the fridge

“Oh..." He smiles "I don’t know, I think you might have time for this. What you say boss, this what you're looking for?”

Jason smiles “Well, well. Now I see why you were so keen to fix us some food. And there was me thinking you were being polite” he laughs. He knew something was off “HAVOC this is BRAVO 1, we have jackpot. Say again we have jackpot.“  
  
Mandy comes on the radios “You found the case?”

“Copy that HAVOC. What you want us to do with it?”

“BRAVO 1, have you checked the contents? Is the intel correct? Just be careful with it and bring it back.”   
  
Mandy smiles, she's pleased with herself. The hours of work she put into this operation, and if it all goes to plan it could be one of the biggest of her career.

“Sonny bring it here”

Sassi watches them bring the case to the table. She swallows, nervously fidgeting in the chair. Her hands are uncomfortable tied behind her back, the plastic zip ties cutting her flesh. She looks around and her eyes meet with Rostov as he looks at her

“Don’t open that!” her voice has concerned and sharp tone to it as she looks up at  Jason

He frowns. He can see how uneasy and nervous she is  “It’s not what you think! Just don’t open it, don’t break the seal on the case, it needs to be stay cool. If you open it the warm air will get in. It'll be come unstable.”

 

Jason leans on the table in front of her. His body is large, and he looks imposing standing in front of her looking her direct in the eyes “What is it?”

She gulps “I can't tell you but just don't open it. Look, it’s in everyone's interests not to, including yours”

“So, what the hell is it?”

She hesitates, watching him "It’s not what you’ve been told”

“Oh, and you know what I’ve been told? “ he pulls up his sleeve and checks his watch “We don’t have time for a guessing game. So, either you start talking or…… Ray opens it up”

“And I said don’t!” Angry that he's not listening, she stands up from where she is seated

Brock puts his hand on her and pushes her back into the chair. She‘s eye to eye with Jason across the table. She takes deep breaths as she stares at him. She's calmer now as she speaks  "Just trust me, and don't open it"

“And I said, start talking!”

 

The room goes quiet at this standoff between them continues. Rostov and his men seem agitated, as the vibe begins to change.  
Ray gets nervous and he holds his weapon ready. There silence makes him nervous. He looks around all the men sit silent, some still smoking cigarettes or drinking vodka, but no one makes a sound as they stare across the room watching Jason and Sassi stare at each other.

Jason frowns, he's the first to break the deadlock when he radios in “HAVOC this is BRAVO 1, do we have a sit rep on this case? Can you confirm, is it stable if we open it up? Copy”

“BRAVO 1 Copy. Request for intel denied"

What the hell? Jason frowns looking around the room at his team “HAVOC say again your last copy"

"BRAVO 1, Request for sit rep regarding Jackpot is denied. BRAVO 1 it's classified"

"Classified? What the fuck does that mean? Then un classify it. Damn we're here on the ground we need to know what we're dealing with"  
  
“BRAVO 1... " Blackburn looks at Mandy, "I'm going to have to give them something to go on. Look Jason's gonna wanna know what we're expecting them to bring back. His team’s safety is of utmost importance."   
  
Mandy frowns and eventually nods her head "Okay you're right. Just keep to the script"  
  
Blackburn sighs, not giving BRAVO the intel is a big mistake in his book, but he doesn't make the rules here "BRAVO 1 this is classified intel. Intel suggests a portable miniaturized nuclear device. The Russians are believed to have been developing the tech so make the bomb portable."

"Is it safe to transport?" Jason frowns concerned as he looks up at Clay and Sonny "

"Copy that BRAVO 1. It's confirmed safe for transportation as some of the components will have been disabled"

"Copy that BRAVO 1 out" he sighs rubbing his head as he looks at Sonny "A suitcase nuke? Why the hell didn't they tell us that at the briefing?” He frowns at Sassi. She sits up in the chair. She's rapidly shaking her head in front of him ”Mandy told us this was a simple information retrieval"

Sonny frowns "Looks like Miss Mandy lied"

  
Sassi doesn’t say anything. She looks up and around the room at the thirty plus pairs of eyes staring at her. She takes a breath, mouthing to Jason, so that no one else hears  “It's not what your told. Trust me don't open it"

Jason frowns at her “HAVOC can I get confirmation. We're sure this is what intel confirms. How good it that intel. Copy”

“BRAVO 1 Intel source is confirmed A1..  source is confirmed as Vinchenkov ”

Jason sighs out loud, rubbing his head. Something tells him something is wrong. He keeps looking at Sassi he doesn't know why but his gut is telling him to trust her on this “HAVOC well Vinchenkov is missing" 

 

He stares at the Dr Renkov. Her eyes nervously pleading with him. Clay and the others are also watching her. She's making them anxious. Once again Jason leans across the table as he looks her in the eyes "Open it up Ray!!” he orders

Ray's apprehensive as he looks at Clay, and then at the others in the room "You sure about this?" he frowns

“Yeah!" Jason continues staring at her he doesn't blink "Do it!”

“ _Glupyy!”_ she screams as she looks away shaking her head. She grinds her teeth together  “You fucking idiot!” she sneers

 

Jason looks at Clay then back at her  

“Stupid! _Glupyy_ , that what she said. You're _glupyy_.. you're stupid” Clay replies. He watches her reaction. Somethings bothering him   
“Jace wait!"  Clay puts his hand out stopping Ray from opening the locks. She looks around and takes a deep breath, smiling at Clay. He comes over to the table and he is now staring at her, studying her body language, he expression “Jason, she’s right. I don't know why, but don’t open it.”  
  
He turns his back to the rest of the room and speaks in low tones “ Jace, Mandy says nuke yeah? But, I remember now, she’s a virologist. I read it in the briefing notes. She wrote a paper on pathogens, and influenza. She's not a nuclear scientist. She specializes in viruses ”

“What?” Jason frowns at him  “So, what the fuck are you saying?”

“Wait!" Sonny frowns "You read that stuff at the briefings?”

Clay dismisses Sonny's stupid comment "I think we should do what she says, don't open it"

“Finally!" She sighs out loud, rolling her eyes "Someone with some brains”

 

Jason rubs his head, he looks at his watch, and grinds his teeth together while he thinks “ We don’t have time for this. Bring that, and let’s get on deck. Exfil is two mics out." he sighs looking at Sassi sat in the chair "Sonny you bring her! But keep your eyes on her”

Sonny smiles at her, He has this large grin “Is this the point I get to chuck her overboard now?”

Jason stops and looks at her  “No! No, unfortunately not yet. We still need to bring her in.” He looks around at the rest of the room, there's a restless unease as they head to the doorway.

She takes a deep breath as Sonny yanks her to her feet “Oh that's a shame. And I was ready to feed you to the wolves” he looks around the room as he smiles at her.

  
  
Some of the men now stand up and Rostov frowns as Sonny grabs her by the arm “Tell them to sit down." he points his gun at Rostov as he pulls her by the arm, holding her closer to him "You, I said tell them to sit down!”

“As you say" he nods, smiling at him " _Uspokoysa! Uspokaysa!_ Just be calm, everything will be okay. You have my word” he looks at the men who are starting to stand up. They nod and then slowly sit themselves down.

 Ray looks at the Captain “Just stay where you are. Everything's going to be okay. They can go back to their families, when we're gone”

“If you say so“ Rostov smiles as he and Ray exchange respectful final glances. Ray covers the door until all of BRAVO leave

 

o-o-o-o-o-o

 

Sonny grits his teeth, holding himself back from pushing her harder, as he forces her along the corridor.

As soon as they are gone from sight some of the Russian men stand up  “Sit! We wait! Our time will come” Rostov acknowledges his crews’ unease. But they listen to him and sit back down

"Rostov…"

"Yes, Oleg! Yes, I know but _spokoynyy! Spokoynyy!_ Just be calm, everything will fall into place. Have patience”

 

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

 

BRAVO head to the wet and windy deck of the ship. There above in the dark, they can't see but they can hear the whurr and whump of helo blades above. The cold, salt spray hits them first as the winch lines hit down with a loud clatter on the metal deck.

“You alright with that Brock?” Jason asks as Brock nods. He zips the metal case into a bag and attaches the straps over his shoulders onto his back before attaching himself to the winch line.   
He also grabs one of the tarpaulin sacks that they filled with tech and papers from the cabins, before he ascends into the night sky.   
  
Trent is next, he's attached with a harness to Clay. With the injury to his arm he needs help with the ascent back to the safety of the helo.

Sassi shivers, it's so cold on the deck. The icy waves that are breaking over the front of the ship are soaking her through her thin clothing.

Sonny loads up a sack on to Ray then he also disappears into the dark sky

“Alright you take her"  Jason nods "I’ll follow up with the rest of this.” Jason looks up, he just about make out the dark shapes of  Ray and Trent as they appear at the open door of the helo. Giving over watch from their vantage point

“Great, just what I wanted” Sonny gripes

“Sonny, you okay with her?” Jason frowns at him "Hey Sonny, look at me. I know she hurt Clay, but just don’t do anything stupid. Like it or not we have to take her back. You good with this?”

“Yeah I’m good. Don’t mean I have to like it though”

“I'm not asking you to like it Sonny, just let's get out of here in one piece”  
  
 Sonny attaches his harness on to the main winch line. Then holding around, her in tandem, he delivers her some safety instruction. She reluctantly nods that she understands. She’s so cold now that she's uncontrollably trembling. He sighs anxiously, as he has to cut the ties on her hands “You try anything and give me any reason, and I’ll drop you into that water. Swear to god, I won’t hesitate!”

She clings her soaking wet body to his, hoping to absorb a little of his warmth. To be honest she doesn't care where they're going. She nods again. She’s so nervous and cold that she’ll just be glad to get off this ship.

“Alright way you go!” as Jason signals for them to go as he attaches himself to the bottom the winch line, bringing the final bag of items they confiscated

Then they are away, gone into the night sky as the helo lifts and turns headed away from the ship.

 

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

They all sit back. Relaxing a bit more now. Brock grips the special cargo in his charge. He has no idea what's inside this metal case, but he clings to it as if it was Cerberus he was holding. Which right now, how cold and wet he is, he’d give anything to be doing.

“You alright?” Jason looks over, checking in with him.   
  
He can see they all look tired and that Brock is lost in his thoughts "Yeah, yeah!” he nods back

“How’s he doin ?” he checks in with Trent and Clay. They’re talking with Ray as re-binds her hands together. Sonny leans his head back and takes a chocolate bar he took from the ship’s kitchen, out of his pocket to eat.   
  
But just as he goes to take a bite there's a sudden bang and clunk which makes him drop it. Ray, who wasn't holding a strap lurches forward from his seat, ending in a heap on top of Sassi as she slides forward on the floor. “What the fuck!!!”  They all look around checking on each other “What the hell was that?” he frowns.

There's lots of noise now. Sounds of bleeping, alarms and lights flashing in the cockpit. The pilots seem un-fazed, but their actions are swift, moving around frantically. Flicking switches and pressing button, on the now brightly lit panels in front of them.

Then there's another long judder and the helo evens out. It brings a bit of calm to the situation as steady panic washes over them all. Jason's on his radio mic to the captain “Eagle one this is BRAVO you got a sit rep. What's going on?”

“BRAVO one copy. We’ve taken a hit. Engine down. We're going down. We just finding somewhere safe to land. Putting out distress call now. You need to prepare your me for hard landing. Be aware we may have to ditch. We checking friendlies in the area for rescue”

 

“Shit!” Jason looks around at everyone. They already know what's going on. Experience tells them before he even says anything, what's likely to  happen

 

The pilots back on the radio “Bravo one this is Eagle one.  the USS Carlton they have an escort fleet. One of the support ships has a Heli deck we gonna try and make there. They’re two clicks out. You need to prep your guys for an emergency landing. It could get bumpy”

“Copy that!” he looks at everyone “Get ready! We’re going down!”

“What the hell happened?” Sonny frowns as they gather themselves

“We took a hit from something!”

“Hit from what?”

“Don’t know yet. Pilot says we’re going down. So, get yourself ready”

 

  
Sassi starts to panic. She doesn’t understand what's going on, as she watches them making all sorts of preparations  
  
“BRAVO one this eagle one. Sit rep update. We’re not gonna make the Heli deck. We’re gonna have to ditch!”

“Copy that Eagle one " he looks at his team "We need to prep they're ditching. Brock you good with that?”   
  
He nods as he empties his rucksack, loading the metal case in and straps it tightly to the front of his chest. "Yeah I’m good to go!”

Jason nods wondering what they hell he’s asking one of his team to do. Jump out of a helicopter with a potential bomb strapped to him. Could this situation get much worse? 

“Trent you got him?" he frowns looking at Clay "You gonna be alright?”

“Yeah I’m good” they both nod

“Alright...” he sighs as he turns to Sassi “.. do you understand we're going down.?"

She shakes her head as she starts to panic “What the hell do you mean we’re going down? Down where?” she holds on to the bar on the roof of the helo that she has a grip of her hands on

 

"Going down, into the water. So, you're gonna have to listen to me carefully. Have you ever been in a helo when its crash landed before?"

"No! no of course I fucking haven't " she frowns the color dropping from her face

“They’re gonna ditch the helo, into the water, and.. "

“In the water? No!" she really panics now "No they can’t! I can't, I can't go in the water. I….I can’t swim ” her breathing increases rapidly, and she rubs her head with her tied hands, pulling at her hair “I can’t go in the water, I just can’t!”

 

Jason looks at Sonny as they see her panicking. This worries them. If she panics like this once the helo hits the water it could be bad for all of them “Okay you _need_ to calm down. Sonny’s got ya. Just do as he says, and you’ll be fine!”

"No!! No, I can’t.. you don’t understand” she starts to having a full-on panic attack now.   
  
Trent looks at her and takes charge "Sassi. listen to me, you need to breath slowly. Really slowly. Breath. one ... two.....three just breath. You. do as Sonny tell you and like Jason says you’ll be fine. He'll have your back; he'll keep hold of you in the water"

Sonny rolls his eyes “Fuck! How come I have to deal with her in the water. What they hell am I gonna do if she’s panicking like that already… Geez. why is it me!!!” he lets out a long sigh. The idea of crashing a helo into water, is already filling himself with dread. Let alone dealing with this in front of him and trying to keep her alive as well as himself.

Jason thinks quick. He can see Sonny is not comfortable with this starting to panic too. He manages to talk some sense into Sonny and calm him down  as they feel the helo start to turn and make its descent at a rapid speed.

“SHIT!!... we don’t have time for this Sonny just get ready. Trent you help Clay, with his arm he's gonna struggle, Ray you team with Brock, I’ll help Sonny with her”

“Jace…” Ray looks at him “you sure about this? I mean if…”

“Ray, Sonny will be fine. You  just do as I ask, and we’ll all be fine! Brock… you good to go? You got that?" 

Brock nods. Watching as Sonny cuts the zip ties on her wrists once again "You ready to do this?"   
It’s the first time that he smiles at her and she nods. Watching his face, he has this measured calm about him, even if she wonders given the situation if he's really as calm in his own head. “Is that case gonna be okay?"

She gulps nodding  “yeah … as long as it stays sealed!”

 

The helo starts to make a rapid descent from the sky. She grabs at Sonny's arms as he takes hold around her from behind. Locking her into position against his torso. He pins her arms down “Just stay with me. and please, try and stay calm. You panic and that's what gets us in trouble”

 “Okay!" she nods taking a deep breath "Okay. Sonny, have you done this before?”

He nods, "Yeah kind of in training" he smiles  “Now the waters gonna be cold, very cold it'll make you gasp, but resist the urge. You'll use all the air in your lungs and you're gonna need it . When I say take a breath, then take a big deep breath out, then take as deeper breath in as you can”

She nods again trying to calm down, but the thought of the dark and the water makes her heart race. But there's no more time to overthink it anymore, as there’s an enormous bang!  
It jolts them all out of position. Then suddnely there’s a cold, a freezing icy cold, that starts to creep up her legs. She pushes her body back into the warmth and security of Sonny who's wrapped around her “Shit!!! " she tries hard not to gasp, like he told her but it’s not easy the waters freezing "Oh god . Oh god,. It’s too cold! Oh shit .. help me.. Shit its cold. Geez!” she grimaces as he body shakes and trembles.

“You’re fine just stay with me. I've got you. Just stay calm. Hold on to me” he keeps talking in her ear, trying everything  to keep her calm. Stop the panic he can feel in her hands. The tension of her body and arms “That’s all you gotta do, is just trust me”  
  
The water is just about at their necks now as the helo starts to sink. Sonny holds out a few more seconds.  
 Brock, Clay, Trent and Jason have already disappeared below the water. He can now see Ray's head cover over, and he’s also gone.

He tries to hold them to the last inch of air in the helo before they too have to make the watery plunge “Okay. Take a breath! NOW!!!” he yells at her before grabbing his own deep breath.

She sucks in the last air she can and closes her eyes. Before she knows it she’s under the water then there’s like chaos as Sonny tries to manoeuvre them out of the side helo door. They need to get out before the helo carcass starts to roll over in the water.

She starts to panic. She's lost all bearings under the water and stars to kick and pull with her arms, trying to search for the surface. Terrified she will drown right here.

Sonny is struggling to hold he but somehow he manages to find the strength with one arm to hold her arms to her sides, her body tight against his, and then he pulls with his other free arm. Pulling at the water above, heading them towards the dim moonlight above them.  
  
Suddenly it becomes easier as he feels a lightness of her weight. Jason and Ray have hold of her pulling them both up to the surface where she emerges coughing and choking. Gasping at the bitter cold night air. The air now feels colder than the water, and as the cold air fills her lungs she loses her senses.   
  
In her head she’s freaking out, but her body won’t respond. It’s too cold to move. and Sonny loses his grip on her. She slips below the water again “SHIT!”  

Luckily Jason grabs her and hauls her back up. She's still choking as she flings her arms back this time catching him in the face “Fuck! Just calm down. I said calm down! We’ve got ya!”

“ I can’t " she coughs "I can't swim" she chokes again "I told you!“ she grips tight to him, but she can’t stop her body from shuddering with the cold

Jason’s frantically looking round to see where everyone else is. Trying to account for everyone. 

He has Sonny and Ray here at his side. Brocks' curly mop appears a few feet away, then Trent with Clay laid back against his chest holding him up. Ray swims towards them to give Trent a hand and to hold Clay who with his arm is struggling.

One of the pilots appears bobbing around a few feet away from them. Their eyes are searching the water for the other pilot but nothing   
"Shit … we got a man down!”

Everyone raises their hands to let him know they’re okay as the pilot swims over towards them, his life jacket inflated “The USS Carlton they're  sending a rescue team. Was the last mayday message I received before we hit the water!”

“Where they fuck are they then?” Jason frowns

“We dropped a bit further out than the coordinates I  anticipated. But they know we ditched. They’ll be here!”

 

Sassi is so cold now and her mind starts to drift away again. Her body is still and almost lifeless with cold. This stillness now worries Sonny. She's not feisty and fighting him any longer. He looks at Ray “She's got hypothermia setting in, we need to get her out of the water ASAP! Where the fuck is this rescue team?”

Seconds feel like minutes, and minutes like hours in this cold. He knows it’s going to start to affect all of them sooner rather than later. They need out and they need out now!

 

Everyone looks round searching for a light or something they have no idea which direction or where they are likely to come from.

“How’s Clay doing?” Jason calls to Trent. They all start to gather closer together

“I’m good!” he hears the kids voice and he smiles. The wet swim has managed to take the bandage off his hand, and it starts to bleed again, the saltwater causing it to sting and smart but as the cold starts to set in so does its numbing effect to the pain. They’re all getting cold and they need to this boat to come soon

They’re still trying to search for other pilot, but can’t see anything in the darkness

“Shhh!” Ray puts his hand up for quiet as they hear a faint distant noise. He starts to pray that it’s a rescue boat.

“What the hell happened?” Sonny looks at Jason as the surviving pilot makes his way back over he’s been trying to search for his Co-pilot

“I don’t know! You okay?”

Eagle one nods at him “Lost my co-pilot, Jones. I can’t see him. Don’t know if he made it out when we hit the water”

“ So, what the hell happened? You said we took a hit?”

“Yeah we did ..” he runs his hand over the wet of his face, so tired from treading water “think it was small missile … probably from a shoulder launcher”

“What the fuck?” Jason frowns “You mean a deliberate hit, trying to take us out? But who?”

The pilot nods “yeah just clipped us, luckily I think it was more to bring us down than take us out! I haven’t got a clue who, didn’t see any other vessels on our radar. So, where the hell it came from I don’t know”

  
Sassi coughs and splutter as water fills her mouth. She’s so cold and Sonny's holding her under her chin keeping her, for the most part, above the waves, but every now and again one catches her full on and she takes in another lung full of sea water. She’s pale white color from the cold and he can feel the shudder of her chin in his hand as he holds her “Much longer in here and she’s not gonna make it!”

Sonny frowns though part of him would like to say “Good” but he doesn’t utter anything but right now he doesn’t even wish that on her.

 

“Hey! C'mon you need to stay awake. They’re coming okay. It’s gonna be fine you just need to hold in there!” Sonny can feel the vibrations of her shivering constantly now. She tries to nod and acknowledge him. He watches her trying to work her out, she looks different now laid in the water cold and calm, much less of a threat than she did aboard the Research Ship

“Why the hell did you attack Clay?” Sonny has to ask it's been playing on his mind and he feels like he needs to know. She takes a deep breath her speech is slurred from the cold and it takes all her energy to reply to him   
  
“ I didn’t know you were American… I thought… “ she doesn’t reply any more her body shutting down, its energy just concentrating on staying warm.

 

Jason looks round as the sudden sound in the quiet of a motor coming towards them out of the darkness. It’s the rescue boat launched from the Invincible and it’s nearly  upon them.

Everyone lets out a sigh of relief  as they first pickup Clay and Trent, followed by Brock. Then they reach their small group pulling each man over the side. They all reach down and between Sonny and Jason they manage to hold her half-conscious body up enough for her to be dragged over the edge before climbing aboard themselves.

The medics onboard start to wrap each man in foil. Covering Sassi over and wrapping her tight in the blankets as they turn and head back fast from where they came.

 


	3. Everyone has a breaking point

Jason's standing below the helo deck, watching and waiting as BRAVO are stripping off their wet clothing.  
  
They're onboard the USS Invincible, a large destroyer which is part of the main strike group for the aircraft carrier, the USS Carlton. Waiting in the repair bay, that the ship’s crew readied for the return of their helo earlier.  
  
He just stands there not moving from the spot, slowly, one finger at a time, removing his wet gloves. He can see all the Helo techs watching them. They're wondering why in the dead of night  there's a DEVGRU team, or that's their guess, stripping off naked in their workspace.

Jason continues to watch as the medics work on Clay and Sassi who are both laid out on medical gurneys. They're cutting the wet clothes from their bodies and wrapping them up in blankets.  
  
The MOs are bandaging Clay's hand, with Trent keeping a professional eye on them, whilst at the same time getting out of his own wet clothes.

"Master Chief Hayes!" The stern loud voice booms from behind him focusing Jason's attention back to the room. He turns around, trying to get a fix on who it is that's calling his name. Watching as the large, tall man in uniform comes striding towards him  
  
"Sir!" Jason salutes

"So, you gonna fill me in what the hell your men were doing in the water?"

"Sir, I'm sorry I can't do that. It's classified, you understand."

"Classified? ... Understand?" he frowns impatiently at Jason "No, you understand something, Master Chief Hayes, someone just woke me from a baby like sleep, informing me that your Team's sorry ass's needed me to leave the warmth and comfort of my soft bed to come rescue you. So, don't be giving me your special forces classified bullshit and fill me in right now, as to why I'm risking _my_ men in the middle of the night to pull _your_ pathetic ass from the ocean. And also understand, ** _I_** am the commander on this ship and you...you answer to me! Well at least that's how the Navy used to work the last time I checked. "

Jason takes a deep breath "Sir, as much as we appreciate your assistance we.." He stops talking, deciding that _Hell maybe it's better to relent and tell him I'll have to at some point anyway._  
  
He sighs. "I will need to check with my senior officer first, Sir!" Actually, thinking about how tired he feels, he will get Eric to explain everything "Sir, if you I think it might be best in the circumstances if you contact Lieutenant Commander Blackburn directly. I'm sure he will be more than happy to give you the sitrep. But um... there are some things we need to deal with first" He points towards the medical trolley "Her, Doctor Sassi Renkov, I need have her taken to a secure place."

Commander Jackson frowns "And why is that? She doesn't look like she's going very far. I doubt she needs much securing. Can't see her doing that much damage in her current condition"

"Sir with all due respect, she attacked one of my men" he looks over at Clay "She's under my authority and I need to ensure no one else is put at risk. She is also a protected CIA asset If you understand. Oh, and um... these needs storing in a refrigerator" He picks up the silver case that he has wedged between his feet

"And what the hell is that?"

 "At the moment, Sir..." Jason sighs "..I'm not actually sure. But I believe it could be a WMD. CIA indicates it to be in safe status."  
  
The commander watches him. looking him up and down. He's already aware of Jason Hayes reputation and his habit of over-stepping the chain of command. He's certainly not going to be doing that on any ship in the command of Jackson he will be made well aware of that.

Jackson sniffs loudly, he has a huge dislike of being told to do anything "Master chief, not only do you wake me in the night, but you now inform me you have brought some type of _bomb_ onto my ship without my permission. What kind of cowboy outfit does your Lieutenant Commander run? So, now the lives of my crew are potentially in danger. And you have an unsecured prisoner under your command. I have to say, I'd heard a lot about you but so far I am disappointed. You certainly don't live up to the hype" He smiles, shaking his head

 

 _What fucking planet is this asshole on ? We just got dropped into the drink in a helo crash and he's having hissy fit because I didn't for warn him!_ Jason frowns. h

 

"I will be speaking to your Commander... you can guarantee that. Now get yourself cleaned up Master chief, then report to me upstairs and you can explain your situation more thoroughly "

"Sir, when you speak with the Lieutenant Commander, could you ask him to arrange exfil. ASAP."

"Exfil is on hold for the foreseeable. We've been asked to attend a distress call. We're on route as priority"

"But Sir, with respect, I need to get my men, and our HVT back. It's imperative to finish this operation. HAVOC command will update you on the urgency of the situation. I’m sure a helo can be arranged ASAP leaving time for you to ... "

"Master Chief Hayes!!" He shouts, shutting Jason up "Once again I'm having to remind you who commands this ship. We are here for tactical reasons and officially on a humanitarian assignment. There for when help is requested. _**MY**_ orders are to respond! _**WHEN**_ the day comes, that you are issuing my orders, that is the day I will put your priorities first. Until that day, I continue with my orders. Now, do you understand me?"  
  
He folds his arms, takes a breath and stares. "Straighten up man!" He orders as Jason stands to attention as Jackson steps forward so he's only inches from his face "Your men will have use of bunks, and the kitchen. I suggest you avail yourselves of them while you wait. I don't expect you to question me again.. are we clear, Master chief?"

Jason sighs "Clear, Sir!"

He looks over at the trolley with the woman wrapped in blankets. Jacksons not stupid and when advised on issues that may affect his crew, he takes them very seriously. "For the safety of _MY_ crew, I will heed your advice and will arrange a secured cabin, and MPs for your passenger"   
He frowns "Now get yourself together, and report to me by .." he looks at his watch "... 02:00. I will expect a _full_ explanation!"

"Sir! Yes Sir!"

As Jackson walks away Jason rolls his eyes and sighs. The thought of being stuck on board here was not in his plans. As he turns another trolley is brought into the Helo deck. This one is different and obviously not an injury as it's fully covered, the stars and stripes draped over covering the recovered body of the second helo pilot.

Jason stops watching them. He takes a deep breath, thinking that perhaps for now he should just be grateful that all his team are here, and okay.

 

**o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o**

 

Sassi open her eyes. She can't move very easily, discovering she's wrapped in layers of blankets.   
  
As she moves her head around, she's not actually sure where she is. It appears to be a small cabin room with a chair, fold down desk, toilet and shower. Very basic from what she can see. She lays still, looking at the ceiling trying to piece things together. Trying to remember what happened.

She remembers the water. She remembers the cold, and she remembers closing her eyes thinking she was going to drown. The rest is a blur of people pulling her, bright lights and a lot of commotion, followed by the serene peace and quiet like now.   
  
Apart from not knowing where she is, she doesn't know what time it is either, and she wonders is it still night or daylight yet? With no windows in the room she can't tell how long she's been there nor what time  when the helicopter crashed.

She manages with some difficulty to unwrap the blankets that are  tucked round her in sort of soft cocoon, but she hadn't realised until she unwraps herself fully, that she isn't actually wearing any clothes. She's confused as she doesn't remember taking them off, and if she did, then as her eyes scan around the empty cabin, she can't see them there anywhere.

"Shit!" she frowns, rubbing her head as she tries to think about what happened to her clothes. She vaguely remembers in the glare of the bright lights, them sitting her forward and taking her jacket off. She also remembers being so wet, and so cold, not being able to move her limbs properly. She remembers lots of tugging, scissors and shouting. There were so many people, shouting and yelling for things.

Managing to stand herself up, she take a look in the mirror. She notices how pale and tired she looks. She's disturbed from looking at herself by the sound of her stomach growling "Yeah, I'm definitely hungry"

She wraps the blanket around her body and tucks it in like a towel dress, so that she can walk to the door. She tries the handle, but the door is locked "What the fuck?!" she frowns and confused she bangs with hand hard on it, trying the handle again "Hey! Heyyyyy!!" she calls out "Is anyone there?"

She the hears the sound of the lock click and the door unlocks. She's now facing a young, tall, thin man in uniform standing in front of her with a frown, and a gun. She frowns, as she doesn't recognise him.

"Dr Renkov, can I help you?"

The fact he knows her name takes her by surprise. “Maybe" she nods "What's going on, why am I in here?"

"I can't answer that. You will need to speak with Commander Jackson"

"Commander Jackson?" She frowns " Jason? From the team that came in with the helicopter. The seals. Did Jason bring me here?"

"No Mam, Commander Jackson is in charge of this ship. I'm sorry Miss, sorry Doctor, Renkov but you are to stay here, that's all I can tell you"

"Am I under arrest?" she frown, as she tries to work out what's going on

"You're confined to quarters. It means that you can't leave without an authorised escort" he smiles at her

"Authorised escort? " she frowns "Is that you? Can I leave here with you.”?

"No Mam'"

"Okay..." she's not really understanding what's going on here "Okay but can I um.. get anything to eat, and...maybe some clothes?"

"I can arrange that for you. Now, it's best if you go back inside"

"That's it? What? I'm supposed to  just sit here and wait." She still confused as she questions him. He's answered nothing she's asked, and she swallows nervously. She's not afraid, more just apprehensive.

"I'm sorry that really is all I can tell you"   
  
He puts his hand on the door handle to pull it shut, but as he does she stops him "Wait! The SEALS, the guys from the helicopter. They are still here, though?"

"I'm sorry Doctor Renkov, like I told you go back inside"   
  
He pulls the door closed, and she hears it click locked "Shit!" she rubs her head, frowning to herself. As she passes the mirror again she looks at herself. Her hair is all matted and as she feels it its gritty and sandy and she notices the salty smell on her skin. She lets out a deep sigh. Resigned to the fact she's stuck in here, waiting, she decided she may as well take a shower.  
  
There's a clean towel, and soap. She lays the blankets back on the bunk and then steps under the shower head. The heat on her skin is a nice comforting feeling and as she lets the hot water wash over her hair, she wraps her arms round herself and closes her eyes.  
  
She might be tired and alone but she smiles to herself   
  
_Finally after all this time_ _I feel free._ For the first time, in a very long time she relaxes. Leaning her back against the cubicle wall, just letting the warm water run over her naked body.

She opens her eyes, she's not exactly sure how long she's been in there, but she steps from the shower and wraps herself in the white, soft, clean towel, letting out a long exhausted, but relieved sigh.  
  
Then she hears the click of the door again, and she ties the towel around her torso covering herself up just as Sonny steps through the doorway.

"Oh!" He nods to acknowledge her. He can see she's just showered, and he think he should to overt his eyes, but part of him can't help noticing how good she looks, standing there only wearing a towel.   
  
He'd rated her highly on the photo he had, but in this moment he thinks maybe even that was too low. Weirdly, despite what she's done, there's something about her he likes. Something, looking at her here in the flesh that he can't put his finger on "I can come back if you'd rather?"

 "No, no you're fine. Is that for me?" She frowns, looking at the tray of food in his hand "You can put it down there" she nods towards the small fold out table "I was just starting to feel hungry. Um...did you didn't bring me any clothes, did you? Only I don't appear to have any in here"

"Yeah, they're arranging some now. They had to cut most of yours last night, to get them off, to get you dry. So, someone’s gonna bring some down here. I'll double check and make sure, when I go back up"

She nods "Thank you. And thank you for what you did in the crash. Having you there, well...." she smiles at him, nervously holding her towel tight around her  
  
He nods. He can feel himself awkwardly return the smile with his own grin "So, you feeling okay now?" he frowns not knowing what else to say but feeling like he should say something.

She nods "Yeah much better" She nods. There's more of a civil tone between them now. Better than how they started out when he first arrived in her world "Um... how um.. how is your friend? Clay wasn't it? How's he doing now?"

"Yeah he's doing okay. Luckily, it's nothing long term." He frowns at her

"Oh, Thank God!" She swallows hard "I really am sorry, about that. I really didn't mean to hurt him."

Sonny chews his gum staring at her. He's not totally sure whether he's happy to accept an apology, or not "So, what the hell happened there? Why the hell did you do that?"

She shrugs "I was scared. I thought the people that took Vinchenkov had come back, for me. I didn't know... didn't know it was you, Americans, I mean. I thought he was a Russian. I heard him talking in Russian, to one of the crew in the corridor"

"He speaks languages" Sonny laughs "he's a translator. That's what he does"

She nods "I didn't know that. I was just scared. I am sorry, like I said I really didn't mean to hurt him"  
  
  
Sonny pulls the knife out of his utility vest. He's back in his gear as Jason told them they are hoping to get a helo out soon "Where the hell did you get this?" He frowns, holding it in his hand in front of him, turning it over in the light.

She smiles. She can see him admiring it and watches as the blade glints catching the artificial light in the cabin. "Rostov.... Vladim. The captain. He gave it to me when we set off. He said he'd do his best to protect me, but he couldn't be everywhere all of the time. On a long journey like that, with that many sex starved sailors, he was worried for me" she sighs "He um... he said there might be times when... when I might need it"

"And did you? Did need it?"

" A couple of times" she nods "Yeah!" she smiles nervously "You know, he said it was my fathers" she gulps back the emotion in the dry of her throat, as she continues watching Sonny touching the knife "He and um... Vladim, They served together, in the military, or so he told me. I never remember my father being in the military. I only remember him as scientist"

"Your father was Russian Special forces?" Sonny frowns as he sits down on the bunk next to her. He continues looking at her, studying her face closely  
  
She shrugs "I don't remember him ever saying but then, I don't remember much about him really. I was 6 when he sent my mother and I back to the States, she was American" she smiles as she remembers

"So, what happened? How the hell’ d you end up in Russia? " Sonny looks at her while he listens to her story. She seems so different now, to the wild thing that attacked Clay on the ship, when she was full of spite and hate towards them.  
  
Yeah she seems smaller, more delicate. More like a princess, someone to be looked after and not someone he could have easily dropped in the ocean without a second thought, like he felt like doing yesterday. Maybe the helo ditch, their plunge into the cold water, had brought the facts of life or death home, to her. Maybe she had a different perspective in the cold light of day. Maybe it was finding herself in this situation, or maybe she was just frightened and maybe now, she wasn't so much.  
  
He doesn't know what's happened, but right now, she just seems sad and vulnerable. There's something appealing and attractive about her. Sonny can't stop staring.

She smiles watching him, watching her "When I was at Princeton, that's when my mother, she went back to Moscow, to my father. That's the last I saw of her until they told me she was ill but I um... I didn't listen my father" she smiles   
"He told me not to come. _It's too dangerous Sassi. Don't_ _come here. Your mother understands"_   she sighs, grinding her teeth together anxiously, holding back the tears that are starting to well in her eyes. The one that rolls down her cheek, she quickly swipes away, but not before Sonny saw it "I didn't listen. I was young and stupid then. Naive. " she sighs "God why didn't I listen to him"

Sonny can see she's visibly shaken by something as her body starts to physically tremble, but he doesn't move "So, what happened to your mother?"

"She died. Few weeks after I got there, cancer. Despite everything that happened after, I'm still grateful that I had that time with her" She takes a deep breath in "Then my father disappeared. One day he was there, one day he didn't come home"    
  
 "Then they wouldn't let me leave" She wipes away another tear, her big brown eyes look up at him. "They said they'd studied my work, my college papers, and now they wanted me to work for them. Spetsial'nyy proyekt " she sees Sonny frown and she smiles "Special project "  
  
She frowns as she thinks "You know I think I even laughed at them. I definitely said I wouldn't do it. Said I was getting a flight and going back to the US." She sniffs, wiping her nose on the back of her hand "God I was so naïve. Funny, it turns out it doesn't work like that. There isn't a choice in it" Now the tears flood her cheeks "God, I should have listened to my father"

She looks so sad, so lost and Sonny moves closer to her. The way the tears are rolling down her cheeks, in great big droplets, he can see how upset she is. He's getting a picture of what happened now, and he pulls her around so she's looking at him as they sit side by side on the bunk "So, this special project..." he sighs " was it that bomb? The case" he frowns "Was that it, what they wanted you to work on ?"

"Yeah!" She nods

"So, what the hell made you help them with that? Surely to god you know what something like that would do. Why didn't you just refuse to do it?"

She closes her eyes, reaching her hand over her shoulder, gently clutching it "I did for a while"  
  
She nods incessantly, looking him in the eyes. They are face to face, only inches apart and there's real spark of tension between them as she studies the lines and the scars on his face. The roughness of his beard contrasting with the soft understanding his eyes are now giving her   
"But everyone has breaking point. I mean everyone. A point at which not being here might be preferable. But, what if you don't have any say in ending it. What if you're forced to endure it? Would you give in then?"  
She stares him right in the eyes as he sits watching her. He stops chewing his gum. He doesn't move "But, I guess difference is, you're trained to deal with that, push past the pain and survive it." She sighs "I wasn't. I was just a trainee scientist"

The tears roll down her face and Sonny now slots all the pieces together "Shit!"   
  
He closes his eyes and puts his hand round the back of her neck, pulling her close towards him, her forehead leaning on his shoulder. He wraps his arms round her and softly and gently runs his hand along the lines of scars on her back. Now he understands.

She shakes her head "Sorry, I'm sorry.  I  um.... " she looks up, they're still only inches away from each other, their eyes locked just staring at each other.  
  
"No, I'm sorry. I get it, I do. And you're right trained or not, the first thing we learn is that everyone does have a breaking point. A point at which they'll say or do anything to make it all go away"

She nods seeing him understand her "I'm sorry." she wipes the tears off her cheek "This it's not your fault, And I'm really sorry about your friend, but I also had to make everyone think I wasn't leaving by choice. Because if you didn't get me off that ship, then... " she shakes her head "... then they had to believe it was nothing to do with me. That you forced me to leave. They all had to believe that you took me against my will. They have spies everywhere. Do you understand that? But I didn't mean any of it"

She stares watching his face as he nods at her. She can see deep in his eyes, despite the exterior hard shell, that there's a softness of inside him and she smiles as she reads that about him "Tell me it's going to be okay now? That I'm not going back, ever."

"Hey! You're not going back there. I promise you that! We're getting off this ship, and the only place you're going, is to the US with us. I promise, you'll be safe now."

She puts her hand on his cheek. Her fingers feeling that rough of his beard, then for some strange, unexplained reason, she kisses him.

And for a moment, just a moment, as the softness of her lips touch his, he responds and kisses her back. Then getting carried away he puts his hand on the back of her head, pulling her mouth against his. His natural urges take over and he has his hand inside her towel on her breast.  
  
She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes, pulling back she smiles as he bites his lip  
  
"SHIT!!" that erotic bite snaps his senses back to reality. "Oh god! Shit!! Sassi, I'm sorry What the fuck am I doin'  Jesus Christ!!!"   
  
Sonny stands up lifts his cap and runs his hand through his hair "FUCK!! Sonny, what the hell are you doin' man! No!" he puts his hands up "No! this didn't happen! This can't happen. I am so sorry. Look, I fucked up!!" he starts to panic. Gathering his thoughts and emotions, trying to put everything back to how it was.

 "It's okay" She takes a breath " I'm the one who should be sorry. I got caught up in my emotions, the tiredness of the moment. It's fine I know .. it wasn't your fault. It was totally me!"

"Look,....you know, hell... it's not that you're not nice, and .. and under normal circumstance, like in the past" he sighs looking at her "Hell, yeah I would. I so would, but... this now, shit!!!" his breathing is panicked "this shouldn't have happened. It's my fault and I'm sorry! Hell, I know better than this. Oh FUCK!"

 "Sonny....it's okay! Really, I just needed....needed some comfort that's all. Do you know how long it is, since ... since I've been close to someone? Had someone hold me like that?" tears roll down her face now

"Look eat your food. I'll get you some clothes sent down" He sighs as he looks at her "Shit!! I'm sorry but I need to go"

 "Sonny .." he stops with his hand on the door handle " Thank you. Thank you for saving me on that helicopter and ... Thank you for being here now!"

He nods   
  
"SHIT!" he steps out the doorway into the corridor and looks at the two MPs stood there. They pull the door closed behind him and he doesn't say a word

He walks further down the corridor until no one can see him. Then he slams his fist into the first door nearest him "Fuck!!"  
  
He squats down to the floor and takes his hat off and rubbing his hair in frustration "Stoopid Sonny, so freakin' Stoopid! What the hell were you thinking!"

Jason standing in the corridor now, he's carrying some clothes for her "Hey, hey what's up with you?"

"Me? Oh no nothin'... just um... you know. Dropping her some food like you asked"

"She okay?" he frowns. He can see the look on Sonny's face "Okay, what the hell happened. Sonny, what you do? You said something to her... something about Clay.? Sonny.... you need to drop this. We need to concentrate on getting back"

"Yeah! Her? No, no, it's nothin' I'm just tired I guess"

"Alright, that's good then. Clay's up and about now. They 're all in the mess hall so why don't you go wait up there. I'm gonna see the commander again about getting us off this ship"

"What we waiting on now?"

"They received some call from a ship in distress. That's all I know"

Jason looks at the pile of clothes in his hand "Right I better get these to doctor bomb maker in there, see if I can get anything out of her about what's in that case. If she don't tell me, Mandy's gonna want words with her when we get back for sure"   
  
Jason frowns as he still watches him "Sonny you sure you're okay? You would tell me if not? Look I know the situation with her, it's not ideal but... "

Sonny nods "I'm Okay, I just wanna get home"   
  
he goes to step away down the corridor "Umm..... You know Jace, go easy on her. I mean,.. she's had a lot going on, the last few days, going down in that helo well it takes toll on even us that are trained for it"

Jason frowns at Sonny's sudden new found compassion "Sonny, did she say something to you? Only it's not like you to be so reasonable, well not considering what she did to Clay "

"Only a few things. Just um... I guess, she was scared right? To do what she did to Clay. Fear ...you know" He shrugs "You see those marks on her back?"

Jason nods

"Well it's easy for us, we trained. You know, to deal with stuff like that and perhaps we forget sometimes, that some people have to deal with it, and they haven't gone through BUDS. You get what I mean?"

Jason nods again

"Ahh! Listen to me" he laughs "Don't worry, just ramblin'. Gonna go check on Clay. Make sure Poster Boy still looks pretty "

"Yeah sure!" Jason frowns as Sonny heads down the corridor. He stands thinking for a moment, contemplating about Sonny's sudden rush of empathy as he nods to the guards to open her door.

 

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

 

"Hey!"

She looks up from eating her food. She's ravenous and shovelling it into her mouth "So hungry, sorry!" as she watches him place the clean clothes on the chair "Oh, clothes thanks!" she smiles

"Um... look I'm hoping we're gonna get out of here soon. So, when you're finished that. You need to get dressed and I'll take you upstairs. We'll be holding you onboard until we can get exfil from the ship"

" Do you know how long?"

"No, they got something to do first. Shouldn't be too long though. So, you need to get dressed and be ready to leave"

She nods

"You alright" he watches as she wipes a tear from her cheek "Did Sonny say something to you?"

She shakes her head "No, why should he have?"

"No, just wondered. If he does he doesn't mean it, he's just worried about Clay that's all. You um.. well the team, they're not happy about what happened"

  
She nods "I know. I did apologise and explain" she puts the tray down and starts to sort the clothes. She pulls the T shirt over her head, as she does the towel slips down exposing her flesh.   
  
Jason looks away embarrassed and he then turns his back. She slips the black panties on, and pulls them up "How long do I have to stay here?" She smiles as she turns around seeing Jason has turned his back

"I'll take you upstairs if you want, give you a bit more daylight, or you can stay here it's up to you? I'm sorry but I will have to ..." he pulls the zip ties out of his pocket ".. if you chose to go upstairs"

She nods "Am I under arrest?"

"Not as such. Not yet anyway. We'll hand you over to the CIA then it'll be up to them what to do with you" Jason watches her as he pulls on the Navy issue combats.   
  
She frowns at him "what?"

"Nothing, just um... can you tell me what's in that case? Is it a bomb? Are we at risk?"

She looks at him "if I tell you am I still getting off this ship?"

Jason looks confused "Yeah I told you. My orders are to hand you over"

" But you promise. Even if you tell them now, I'm still going with you?"

"Yeah, yeah my orders are to bring you back"

"Okay!" she gulps "Yeah it's a ........."   
  
She stops mid-sentence as noises like gunfire and an explosion makes a shudder and movement in the cabin "What the hell was that? she looks at him worried

"I don't know " Jason listens hearing more sounds "Stay put!"

"Don't leave me here!"

"STAY there! Until I find out what's going on!" He looks outside the door at the two MPs "What the hell was that?"

"We don't know!" one of them shrugs

"Okay! Look, I'll stay here. You go find out, then come back. Give me your weapon"

"Sir?" The younger MP frowns "You sure? What about her?"

"I'll be fine, she's the least of my worries at the moment. Just go! BRAVO 2 this BRAVO 1, do you copy"

"Copy Bravo one you have  sit rep?"

"Negative Bravo 2.Get all BRAVO call signs down here below deck, until we get a further update BRAVO 2 head to the bridge and speak to the Commander"

"Copy that BRAVO 1 headed out now"

Ray heads to the bridge "Commander, Master Chief wants a sit rep?"

The Commander stalls in his explanation. He coughs as Ray frowns at him "We've had a breach ... seems that ship in distress, it wasn't" he looks over Ray's shoulder and Ray turns around to look at the rest of the bridge crew

As he does he comes face to face with something he didn't expect "Vladim!"

The Russian Captain smiles at him "Ahhh! Look, it's my American friend. The family man. I am so pleased to see you again, Ray!"   
  
He laughs "Now it is your turn, to get on your knees. And the rest of you can do the same, unless.... Commander Jackson, you want me to blow this ship apart?"

 

 


	4. This is not her fault

Through the glass panel window or the door to the bridge Sonny takes a quick look but he can't see anything only the Commander standing there talking  
  
"What the hell's keeping you Ray?" Something doesn't feel right but Sonny's not good in the company of officers, so he stays where he is for now. "This is taking too long." Bravo 2 do you copy?" He tries the radio once again. His gut is doing somersaults "Somethin' not right here"

He swipes his head for another quick check. As he does he frowns “What the hell?” he’s confused, one of the person on the bridge he recognises as the young Russian sailor from the research ship that they just pulled Sassi Renkov from "You should definitely not be here, so what the fuck is going on? BRAVO 2 this is BRAVO 3 do you copy?"  
  
He crosses the doorway, this time making a swift glance from the other side. Moving swiftly and silently taking care to not to be seen. From this position he now sees something more concerning "Vladim!"   
  
He can see the Russian ship's captain, and he’s now holding a handgun to the head of the Invincible’ s, Commander Jackson.

 _SHIT! What the hell’s going on? Ray ... where are you?_ _  
  
_He takes a slow deep breath, leaning his head back against the wall while he tries to think "Bravo 1, this is Bravo 3 do you copy” making sure to keep his voice to a low and quiet whisper.

“Good copy Bravo 3. What’s the sitrep?”

Sonny pause, making another quick check on the situation on the bridge, he's trying to take in as much information as the quick glance will allow him

“BRAVO 3…..” Jason frowns at the silence, something worries him now too  “BRAVO 3! Radio check. BRAVO 3. Sitrep. copy”

“Yeah, copy that BRAVO 1. We got a bit of a situation here”

 

“Situation? BRAVO 3 what the hell’s going on?” Jason looks at Sassi and frowns

“BRAVO 1,looks like we got multiple hostiles on the bridge”

“Bravo 3, say again your last?” Jason frowns confused about Sonny’s message

“I said, we have multiple tangos on the bridge. I see possible count of ten. All heavily armed" he frowns again " BRAVO 1..…. BRAVO 2 is on the bridge”

 

W _hat the fuck?_ Jason looks up he's trying to get a visual on the situation in his head "BRAVO 3, any idea who we're dealing with?”

“Yeah , yeah from what I can see.... it’s the Russians from the research ship!”

“What the hell! You positive about that?”

“Oh yeah I’m sure, I'd recognise that asshole Captain anywhere. He’s holding the Commander, at gunpoint. Copy"

Jason sighs he's thinking about his next move “BRAVO 3, get back down here ASAP“

“Copy that BRAVO 1”

 

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

 

Trent, Brock and Clay arrive down the stairs and Clay questions Jason “What the hell’s going on?”

Jason shakes his head “I have absolutely no idea. Sonny says there are Russian hostiles on the bridge. He says they're from the research ship, the icebreaker. Multiple hostages, including Bravo 2”

“You think they're connected, with the missile that brought our helo down?”

Jason nods. He has all possible scenarios running through his head “It’s possible, or something to do with that distress call they were responding to. " he rubs his head " I don’t know what the hell’s going on” He runs his hands through his hair and rests them behind his head while he thinks   
“Someone’s gotta have some big balls though, to attack a US destroyer! I mean if they’ve got enough intel to hit this ship, then they gotta know it’s part of a strike command and that that means the firepower of an aircraft carrier being inbound. I mean why would you do that, right?”

Clay thinks for a moment “You might if that destroyer’s holding something valuable enough, that you want to get it back.” he turns to look at Sassi

“SHIT!!!" Jason rubs his chin and turns to look as Sassi standing there "You think this has got something to do with her and that fuckin case?” Jason stares at her just thinking “How many crews on this ship?”

Clay thinks “Um... normal destroyer crew is …around two hundred and fifty, few more if it was fully crewed”

“Okay and how many on the Russians were on the Icebreaker?”

“Thirty!” Sonny answers quickly and Jason looks around at him as he comes jumping down from the last steps “The Doc….she said thirty. I’m sure you did?”

She nods, swallowing nervously "Yeah there was thirty crew”

 "So, that’s about one hostile to nine crew. Not a bad ratio if you wanted to take down a destroyer” He frowns as he thinks about it “But that's an awful lot of crew, for a scientific research ship. How come they brought so many?”

Sassi stands silently her eyes glancing at Sonny but she doesn’t answer.   
  
There's this tense nervous vibe now and Jason feels uncomfortable “Dr Renkov, _why_ so many crew on that ship? Did they know they were going to do this, was this planned?" he frowns at her, but she still doesn't answer "You knew they were gonna do this, didn't you?”

She shakes her head “No! No, I didn’t, I swear." She looks around to face Sonny. She's pleading with him "You have to believe me, I didn't know”

“But they did plan on hitting this ship?”

She shakes her head taking a deep breath she shrugs “I told you, I don’t know”

“So why the large crew? That's not normal, for a vessel that size. Even I thought that when we hit. We were told to expect ten, maybe fifteen but thirty!” he frowns at her again. There are so many questions in his head right now and not having Ray here to help him answer them doesn’t help.

  
She stands silently, watching them. She watches as Clay and Sonny both tilt their heads, looking at her, willing her for answers. She shrugs again “ I really don’t…that's the truth!”

“NO! No, I don't believe you" Jason grabs hold of her "Don’t tell me you don’t know" he shakes her "You know plenty. I can see it so what are you holding back?” he’s up close in her face now, studying her body language, the look in her eyes. He can see how nervous and how much fear she has. He yanks at her arm hard making her look at him  "What the hell are you covering up?”

“Jace…” Sonny puts his hand on his arm “... hey, go easy!”

“Easy?” Jason swings his attention round to Sonny, a deep-set frown on his face  “You want me to go easy? What the hell is going on here? You were ready to kill her when we picked her up, if I hadn’t stopped you, now ….now when Rays up there, life or death, you want me to go easy?”

“I’m just sayin' that scaring the life out of her, it isn’t going to help. She told ya she don’t know. I believe her"

“Oh no. No, she knows something, I can feel it. I can smell it on her” Jason steps forward towards her again "She's hiding something, but I will find out what it is"

Sonny now makes a bold decision and he's not really sure why, but he steps between them “Jace, just stop!!” he glares his face is only inches from Jason's as Jason pushes his hand away from his body

  
Seeing the way, they are with each other, she nervously closes her eyes, so she doesn't have to look at them "He’s right!" she sighs, now looking pathetically into Sonny's eyes "He's right, I do know”

“What?” Sonny turns and frowns at her

She nods “I'm sorry... It's fine. .it's fine I tell him" she puts her still cable tied hands on Sonnys arm, her large brown eyes swell with tears

Jason pushes Sonny of the way so he can look at her directly “You better start talking, and fast!”

 

She nods, wiping the tears from her face “They um... I mean we....” she stops and takes a deep breath “We were going to test the bomb" she starts to cry

“Test the bomb?" Jason frowns "What the hell, test the bomb where?” She bites her lip she can’t look at him as he pushes her “I said where? Where were you going to test the bomb?”

“Um... twenty of the crew would have been left behind on the island. You were right when you said the ship only need ten crew, Rostov was taking ten back, his trusted men would take us back, when the test was over. When I ... when I..." she lets out a sigh ".. I had the results"

Jason turn and frowns at her “Why were they getting left behind?”

She takes a deep breath and shakes her head “I’m sorry, oh god!” she looks at Sonny again. Her body starts to tremble, and he can see how upset, nervous and scared she is.   
  
“Sassi... " he questions her more gently than Jason’s brusk tone "What were they going to do?”  
  
“I’m sorry, I never intended for this, you have to believe me I didn't want to do this.”

“It’s okay." Sonny smiles, putting his hand gently on her arm “Sassi, it’s okay but you have to tell us” he lifts her chin to look at him “What …what were they going to do?”

She nods and looks at him as great big tears roll down her cheeks “Its um.. it's not a nuclear device. It's a…. _Pheww!_ ” she lets out a long sigh “a virus. A viral-based explosive. We … I mean, I…” she closes her eyes thinking about what she’s about to say “… I needed to test. How quickly and efficiently it would take hold, in an open environment.”

“Sons of a bitches!" Jason closes his eyes in disgust “And you were gonna test that, on those men from the ship? What the hell, did they know?”

She shakes her head “We needs the remote island, far away, so that no one would know. The families would think they got lost at sea, the ship would have been in an accident. No bodies..” she sniffs “I’m so sorry. I never…”

“What the fuck? And you were just gonna do this? You were okay with it?”  Jason’s furious. Trent and Clay stare at each other they can’t get their heads round what she’s saying

“NO! No, oh god no! No I.. I never thought that they would go through with it. But, you were supposed to get there, just like you did. To stop it but this now, this wasn't supposed to happen. They weren't supposed to come after me. We were supposed to be on a plane to the US now"  
She starts to openly sob now, wiping her nose with her hands.

Jason's fuming, he feels like he's been missing vital intel “Did the Captain know? Vladim. Did he know what you were going to do, to the men?”

“Yeah!" she nods "Yeah he knows it all. That’s why they chose him. He... he’ll do anything for the right amount of money. Oh god!" she sobs "I’m sorry. I didn’t know what to do. I thought the CIA were just gonna get us out of there, I didn’t know this would happen.”

“Hey!" Sonny steps in "Hey it’s okay" He smiles watching as he wipes the tear off her chin" Sassi it’s okay” Sonny comforts her, firstly with words then seeing her crying, he pulls her to him “It’s all gonna be okay”   
  
He puts his hand on her head hold her close to his chest as she shakes and sobs in to it. He looks around at Jason, and frowns “Look, she didn’t have any choice in this man. This is not her fault. Jason, you saw for yourself those marks. That's what _they_ did to her. They made her do this”

Jason watches him “And you’re okay with it?" Jason frowns "You're okay with what they were going to do?"

“No man! No, no way! The hell I am. But taking it out on her, there’s no point. Them upstairs, that’s who you need to take it out on! She's innocent in this. She was just trying to get free.. get away. We were supposed to be getting her away”

Jason pulls at Sonny “What the fuck is going on here?”

“Look, I’m just sayin that she’s not to blame, she didn’t have any choice. Jace, we got the bomb, we got her. We just need to get Ray back now, and then we'll take their sorry ass’s out. All I'm sayin' is shouting at her, it's not gonna do any good.”

 

Jason pulls away. He runs his hand through this hair. He looks over at Clay, he just gives him this blank stare, he doesn't say a word.“ I don’t know what the fuck's going on here Sonny, but one thing you’re right about" He sighs "we need to get Ray back!”  
  
He takes a moment thinking about their next move “Alright, Trent,  Brock .. you ‘re with me. We're gonna get a sit rep upstairs. Clay….”  
he bites lip before he finishes his sentence, staring Sonny in the eye “...Sonny. You both take her. You go up to the kitchens, you get that device. It’s in the cold storage" He pushes Sonny in the chest “You don’t let her out of your sight, you understand me?”   
  
Jason takes the zip ties from his inside his vest “ Put your hands out!”

She frowns “What?”

“I said put your hands out!”

She frowns at him and reluctantly holds her hands in front of her “You don’t have to do that.”

“Yes, Yes I do. Until I know what’s going on here, you're still a prisoner.” he pulls her hands roughly together. Angry at everyone for the situation they're in.

“Jace man, I’ll keep an eye, you don’t need to do this”

“Sonny shut your mouth. I'm still in charge here, so don't fuckin' tell me what to do. _I_ give the orders, or did that change?”

“No!”  he sighs “Fine man, do what the hell you want” Sonny shakes his head and walks away. Jason pulls the plastic tags tightly around her hands again.

She watches him, staring Jason in the eyes, while he pulls the plastic ties round her wrists. She's grinding her teeth together, trying not to show how angry she is. She looks over at Sonny, trying to get his sympathy. He just shakes his head, closing his eyes as Jason stares at him when he pulls the ties tight “If you don't want me to lock you back in there on your own, then you do exactly as they say. Do you understand? _Exactly_.. as they say!” He looks at Clay "You keep an eye on her!”

Clay nods “Yeah sure!”

 

“Alright, radio check. Havoc do you copy” There’s just a static sound on the end “HAVOC say again, this is BRAVO one do you copy?”  
  
There’s still nothing. Just the crackle of a static signal. He’s not sure if they hear him or not  “Shit!!  Alright... " he sighs "we gotta assume if our comms are down that the ones from the Invincible are too. They must have cut the connection or something.  Let’s hope when they don’t reply that the CARLTON will respond with some kind of action. We gotta assume they're coming for that case, or her and when they get what they want they must have an exfil plan, for getting off this ship. We need to be a step ahead of that plan”

Everyone nods in agreement. There's a sudden electronic hiss they haven't heard before. They look around trying to make out where it's coming from . They look up at the small speakers in the corner of the corridor. It's the ships tannoy system

  
 “THIS is Commander Jackson, Captain of the US NAVY destroyer the USS Invincible. Attention all crew, I repeat _all crew_.  You should report to the helo deck, engineering bay with immediate effect. This is a direct order. I repeat ALL CREW must report to the engineering bay”

  
They look at each other “Shit! What the hell are they playing at?”

Clay frowns “The engineering bay, it’s a secure area. On the ship, the area it can be secured from the rest of the ship. Locked down so that in the event of an aircraft fire, they can contain it”

“So, what they gonna do with the crew there?” Jason frowns

Trent and Brock shake their heads. Clay’s still thinking “They're gonna make it into a large holding cell. There’s enough room, toilet facilities, water. They can contain the crew there indefinitely”

“That’s a lot of people to contain in one place, especially military personnel. But they’d be sitting ducks if they wanted to take them out” Trent frowns at him

She looks up at Sonny then back at Jason. She swallows hard, her lip quivers as she tries to find her voice "But um... it would also..." She swallows nervously "..I mean, if it a contained area you could test a bomb without out contaminating the rest of the ship"

“You could what?!” Jason frowns at her “Test it? What the hell, is that what they're going to do.”

She nods “Maybe. I mean Vadim’s orders were for a test on the effectiveness of the virus so.. if he can't make the island then.. maybe?”  
  
“Fuck!” Jason rubs his head thinking about the possibility he sighs. He tries his radio again; he has to get a message back   
“HAVOC this is BRAVO 1 DO you copy? HAVOC we require urgent assistance…. HAVOC copy”   
  
He still only gets the static sounds "SHIT! Alright we need to move. We concentrate on getting Ray back first, and then getting that bomb off this ship” Everyone nods at each other  “Trent, Brock with me....” He stops mid-sentence. There's a lurch in the ship, a large thudding, pounding sound and the ship suddenly jolts throwing them off balance. It’s as if it stopped suddenly. 

They listen, everything has gone quiet and they can no longer hear the constant dull thudding sounds of the engines in the background. Then suddenly all the lights flick, and the power goes off.  
  
Everything goes dark. They look up checking the lights as one by one they go off. Sassi takes a deep breath and lets out a small shriek as the corridor descends into total darkness  “Oh shit!" she gasps trying to get her breath, she clutches at Sonny's arm "What’s happening?”

“It's okay." Sonny takes hold of her hands trying to reassure her "The emergency backup will come on, when the backup generators cut in”

She nods, her breathing gets slightly more panicked. The dark is something she really doesn’t like. They all stand still for a moment. Then one by one the emergency lights start to flick on, and she lets out her breath “ _phew!_

“Alright let’s go!” Trent, Brock and Jason disappear up the stairs.

 

 o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Clay watches Sonny as he calms Sassi down. He tucks a loose strand of her hair back behind her ear and then runs his hands gently over her wrists, checking where Jason pulled the plastic ties tight "You okay?"

 "Yeah, yeah I'm good" she nods

"sorry about these. It wasn’t my choice. They’re not too tight though are they?”

“No, it’s fine. I understand why. I mean, it’s fine. It’s not your fault”  she smiles at him

 

“Sonny!” Clay beckons him over “Here. A word”

“Just a minute" he smiles "I’ll be right back”

She smiles as she drops down to sit on the floor, resting her head in her hands

“Alright, what the fuck’s going on there, between you and her?"

Sonny looks at him “What? I don’t know what you mean?”

“Don’t give me that Sonny. You and her, what’s that all about?”

“I don’t know what you mean man. I'm just being nice, you know Clay, this is not her fault”

“Sonny don’t bullshit me! Yesterday you were about ready to kill her at the first opportunity, and now today, this .. this bullshit?” He frowns at him

Sonny pauses biting his lip while he looks at Clay wondering what to say “I don’t get what you mean, man. Look, we talked okay. She told me what happened to her. She’s just been through a lot alright. She deserves a break, bit of sympathy. That’s all.. it’s all cool” he smiles

“BULLSHIT! Sonny you don’t do sympathy for people like her. Hell, you called her traitor before we left. If you had your way she’d never be coming back unless it was in a box. So, tell me, what the hell’s going on?”

 

Sonny looks around at her sitting on the floor. He scratches the back of his head, and. he lets out a deep sigh “I dunno. I just.. I just talked to her yesterday. About why she did what she did.” He shrugs struggling to get the words he wants "You know they tortured, her right? To make her do it, build the bomb. Can you imagine that.. that choice? How bad it would have to be Clay, for you to choose to build a bomb? Jesus Clay, have you seen the scars on her back, hmm? Now, you tell me she doesn’t deserve a bit of understanding!”

Clay shakes his head “ Sonny what’s got into you? Getting so personal like this over a target. This is not you man, that's all I'm sayin'”

“Oh, I dunno" he lets out a long sigh as he rubs his head "Shit!... ahh fuck it!"

“Sonny, what is it? You know you can tell me. We’re brothers right, just tell me. What's wrong?”

“FUCK!!! Urggghh! Clay, look man I didn’t mean to, it just happened”

  
Clay frowns “Sonny what? What just happened?”

“ _SHIT!_." he sucks in a deep breath his face flushes with nervous embarrassment "I kissed her, man!”   
  
He rubs his head and lets out a long sigh “ I really didn’t mean to ... it just .. _FUCK!_ It just happened. I got caught up in a moment, talking to her you know, I felt sorry for her, she was upset and then.... ”

“You did what?!" Clay pushes him as he frowns "What the fuck were you thinking?"

“I dunno know, like I said, it was the moment. I just....” he rubs his head again” … _FUCK!!_ What am I gonna do man?"

“You gotta tell Jason”

“No! Jesus NO Clay!! Hell no! You don't either! I can’t tell him that!”

 

Clay takes a breath and shakes his head. He's disappointed int Sonny. He calms down "Okay so ... it was just a kiss, that’s all?" he stares looking him in the eyes "SONNY!! Was it just a kiss?”

“Yeah! Hell yeah, just one nothing kiss! Just an in the moment thing. She was so upset. A stupid fuckin’ mistake. I don’t know. I don’t know why I did it, not with  …” he closes his eyes and now he's  thinking about Lisa

“Sonny, you know you could’ve put us all at risk. A stunt like that, it's dangerous" he sighs "Jeez.. Sonny you know better than this!”

“Clay, it's fine okay. She’s frightened. What she did, it's cos she was scared! She's not a bad person, you know that”

“Sonny, I saw her on that ship. She was cool and controlled when she came at me!”

“No! No, she was scared. She heard you talking Russian and she thought you were them, coming for her. That’s all!”

 

“Fuck!!” Clay runs his hands through his hair, he can’t believe what Sonny’s just told him  “You’re cool with this now though, right? I mean I don't need to worry about it happening again?”

“HELL NO!!!” Sonny frowns “SHIT! Clay no, no way! Uh uh, no Sir, Not even thinking about that. Just thinking about getting Ray and getting home. That’s it. Cross my heart, I'm focused" he sighs "Clay, you’re not gonna tell Jason are you?”

Clay lets out a long sigh and watches, looking over at her with her head in her hands on the floor. Maybe Sonny was right, she was just scared  “No!" he rubs his head "No. No, I’m not gonna tell him. I should! But I’m not going too, but she stays with me, alright?”

Sonny nods “Yeah, yeah sure!”

“Fuck!! Don't do this to me again Sonny” he shakes his head “Alright come on. Let’s go find this package and get out of here!”

 

 


	5. We might be in trouble

There's a thumping thud. It's the sound of a fist meeting with Ray's chin. “I ask again. The name of your superior?”

“Go to hell!” A badly beaten Ray, his face bloodied and bruised still doesn't answer the question. Spitting the blood that's filling his mouth on to the floor.   
  
Vladim closes his eyes. He nods his command for the large Russian man, stood in front of him, to continue with the vicious assault and Oleg again punches hard into Ray's face. The crunching sound of his knuckle as it connects with his jawbone "Urggghh, Fuck!!" Ray closes his eyes as the pain sears up through his eye, and into his head.  
  
Vladim smiles watching as he absorbs another bruising blow  “We can keep this up all day, my American friend. Look make it easy on yourself. All I am asking for, is his name”

As Ray doesn't speak Vladim nods again as he turns his back. Listening as Oleg unleashes blow after blow, again and again. Still Ray doesn't answer.  
  
The Commander and his men are agitated, held at gun point, fixed to the spot, watching as this unfolds in front of them.  
“Alright stop!”  The sound of Commander Jackson’s voice comes over the top of Ray’s painful grunts.  “I’ll tell you what you want to know, but just stop”

Vladim turns and smiles at the Commander “Very well. Go ahead.”

“Master Chief Hayes, Jason, that’s the name you’re asking for”

Vladim laughs and smiles. He looks back at Ray who’s now glaring at the Commander through his swollen eyes.  
  
“See, that wasn’t so difficult was it? Though, it does seem that the Commander would not make a good special forces operator. What you say, my American friend?” Vladim shakes his head. He turns back looking at Jackson, giving a huge grin “You are pathetic, Commander. But thank you!”  
  
  
He now hands Rays radio mic, that he took from him, to the Commander “It may be easier to get you to  call him. I’m not sure his men will give in as easily” he smiles again

The Commander is angry. He’s been made to look a fool, but he does as he's asked “Master chief Hayes, this is Commander Jackson, do you copy”

Jason frowns he looks at Trent and Brock “What the hell?” he’s worried now “That's Ray's radio, so where the hell is he?”  
  
  
The comms are crackled, and they cut in and out. Obviously still having the same issues they faced earlier with them.   
  
Brock diagnosed the issue as being the plunge they took into the icy water when the helo downed, though he couldn’t be sure. Clay's guess entirely different, he said he thought something was jamming communications. But whatever it was they’d had no time to work the problem or get new radios, so they had to go with what they had for now.

Trent and Brock look to gauge Jason’s reaction  “What’s going on?” Trent’s worry lines deepen. Jason doesn’t answer him because he’s not sure himself.

“Master Chief.... Master chief Hayes, please respond. One of your men is in trouble. I need you to answer me. That’s an order.”

Jason still bides his time. Still silent then just before he speaks he’s interrupted by the Russian tones of Vladim who, now impatient,  takes the radio from the commander. “Master Chief Hayes. No, I think... I think  I will call you Jason, it's more personal, you agree? I am Captain Roskov Vladim, but you already know that. Please all I'm asking is that you communicate with me. We can clear up this, small misunderstanding”

“Misunderstanding?" Jason laughs "How’s that?”

“Well.... " Vladim laughs "it would seem you have taken somethink that belongs to me and... and I now have somethink that belongs to you. And I wish to trade”

“ No, I don’t think so. See I don’t negotiate  with terrorists”

“Oh No! No, no, no! You are wrong, I am not a terrorist, merely a procurer of items. I find them and I sell them. A simple tradesman”

“Yeah, yeah sure you are. But, still the same answer. No deal!”

“Oh, but Mr Hayes, ...Jason. I’m not sure you are giving this your full attention. Perhaps….perhaps I could do somethink that would get you to pay attention. Hmmm, you want me to get your attention?”

  
Ray takes a deep breath as Vladim turns with the gun in his hand.  
  
Then a loud bang and a crack sounds across the bridge. The Navy officers, all present, jump at the noise. Some clamp their hands to their mouths as they take breathless gasps. The sudden turn of events makes for a few screams as the body of Commander Jackson drops to the floor.

Jason doesn’t answer. He's fixed still on the spot, staring at Trent and Brock as they hear the sound of screams echo around the ship and they  stare back at him 

 _SHIT! What the hell?_   Jason's heart misses a beat as the sound from the radio rings in his ears.   
  
Trent looks more worried, if that was possible “Jason, what the hell was that?”

A feeling of dread creeps over Jason's body. He's worried. Did his reluctance to speak, or the aggression in his words somehow get someone, or even worse, Ray killed? He can feel his heart beating hard in his chest and he swallows down the lump that's formed in the dry of his throat.   
  
Brock frowns at him. They’re all silent, standing there, trying to play out in their heads what might have happened. Time seems to have slowed as Jason’s mind races to understand.  
  
The next thing he hears, is the muffle laughs of Vladim “Such a weak man, so much weaker than the man in your command. He has proved very strong so far. But let me assure you, Jason. The next time, it won’t be the weaker man that takes the bullet. Do you understand me?" He takes a deep breath "Master Chief Hayes, I want my _thinks_ back, or you will have to live with more blood on your hands”

“SHIT!” Jason closes his eyes. He's trying to calm the emotions pumping around his body. He bites his lip, hard, the pain focusing his mind “Let me speak to Ray”

“No, no I don’t think so. You tell me when you are ready to exchange my _thinks_ for yours, and then we will talk”

He cuts the radio and lays it on the desk of the bridge  “Clear this mess up! Then Yustov, take some men and check the crew are locked down securely”

“Captain, Sir, radar shows their Warship; the USS Carlton, is turning around. It’s moving in this direction. What do you want us to do?”

“Nothing, yet. It’s good. Just as we hoped. You have your orders, get on with them. Oh, and cut the emergency power. Like rats, let's keep Master Chief and his team in darkness.”

“Sir, to do that, will take time. I need to go the source of the backup generators, to cut the power. It's designed to override all eventualities”

“Then do it!”

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

 

Jason sits himself down on the floor. Leaning his head back against the wall behind him as he runs his hands through his hair “Oh fuck!”

“You okay?” Trent puts his hand on his shoulder

“Yeah, yeah I just need a minute to focus" he lets out a long sigh _C'mon work the problem Jason_. "Okay, we need to get a recon on how many of them, there are on board”  
  
He sighs, trying the radios again  “HAVOC this is Bravo 1… Do you copy?” There's a buzz of static, he sighs frustrated. “HAVOC, radio check.” There’s still no answer.  _Fuck!_

Brock looks at him. “Still not responding?”

Jason shakes his head. "We need a work around, with these comms, they’re not reliable enough.”

They all sit, taking a moment, thinking about the next move. Then as sudden crackle for the radios gets their attention “BRAVO 1. This is HAVOC copy. BRAVO 1 good copy”

Jason lets out a huge sigh of relief, he finally smiles “HAVOC this is BRAVO 1. Good copy. Nice to have you back HAVOC. Sitrep, we have a comms problem”

“Copy that BRAVO 1, Say again”

“We have unknown number of hostiles aboard the Invincible. They have control of the bridge. We have fallen Eagle. Repeat we have Fallen eagle“ He takes a moment  “Commander Jackson. HAVOC do you copy. Jackson is dead Copy”

“BRAVO 1 copy that. Fully aware of onboard takeover, please be advised. USS Carlton is on route. Current location twelve clicks to infill, please also be advise unidentified Russian Sub is tracking the waters. Position last advised twenty clicks. Holding for now Copy”

“Copy that. “ Jason leans his head back thinking again “HAVOC, can I talk to Mandy ” Jason frowns,

“ Copy BRAVO 1, handing over”

“What the hell’s going on here? Don’t give me any bullshit right now. Ray's life might depend on me knowing.”

She swallows thinking about what she wants to tell him and what she can. So far she has held back on the information but now it might be the time for her to disclose something more, it's deciding what she can tell him.  
“BRAVO 1.." she hesitates for another moment " Our informant told us, there was a device about to be tested. Without further intel, we assume it's nuclear. It’s well known the Russians have been trying to develop the tech for a device like this for years now. They’ve even tested prototypes. It’s also our informants’ field of expertise”

“Yeah well you can scrap what you heard. She told us it’s not nuclear. It's a virus-based explosive”

“Hold.  BRAVO 1 you said she, our informant... our informant was Vinchenkov. He was the only one knew we were coming, you're  talking about Dr Renkov, but she didn’t know we were coming, unless Vinchenkov told her. But that would have put him in danger. You did pick him up right?”

“No! No Vinchenkov was gone. That means he must have told Renkov. Vladim saved her, he hid her, when they Russians came for them”

“BRAVO 1 we picked up no trace of any vessels in the area. We were monitoring before your infill”

Jason frowns and looks at Trent, as Brock keeps his focus, his weapon trained down the corridor, facing the door to the Bridge. “So, where the hell did he go then? " Jason and Trent look at each other.  
  
Trent frowns "But she said Vladim hid her till they left."  
  
"Yeah, yeah she did " Jason frowns thinking "But what if there weren't any Russians. What if no one came aboard. I mean, she wouldn't have known, not if he hid her. Maybe that's just the story he told her. But maybe Vladim killed him."

"You think they  knew we were coming.?" 

Jason nods slowly while he works through his thoughts "That's why they were all so calm, why we didn't meet any resistance. Maybe this was Vladim all a long? He lied to her about them taking Vinchenkov. To cover the fact, he'd killed him.”

Trent nods “Yeah, yeah that could be right. If Vladim had this planned. But, what’s he gonna gain from this?”

“Nothing. But he said he was a trader, who sold things. So, what's he got to sell." Jason looks up at Trent "A bomb?"

"Yeah but they were gonna test it so they didn't know if it works yet. And then once it's tested he wouldn't have a bomb, to sell."

"No...." Jason sits back and takes a moment putting the pieces together  “But he would have a scientist who could, with persuasion, build him another one!" He takes a breath getting back on the radio "HAVOC do you copy. What intel do we have on Vladim? Have we run a background check?”

“We’re running some checks now. But previous searches showed nothing. He was Russian special forces and their information is notoriously under the radar.”

“Russian special forces, Spetznaz?”

“Copy that. What we do know is he was injured, during a tour. Busted his knee. Supposedly became a recruitment and training officer for a special elite team. But then he went off grid”

Jason sighs “So, Ray’s really in trouble then. We’re not gonna be able to negotiate with him, not unless he has a real good reason to give him up. I need something. I need something on him. Can you get back to me asap”?

“Copy that BRAVO 1”

  
He's frustrated. This guy is going to know every move in the play book. He's not gonna fall for any tricks. We're gonna need something to bargain with. "Mandy, what about our HVT, Renkov. What's the deal with her?”

“Just the stuff we gave you in the briefing.”

“Yeah well let’s go over it again. There must be something, something we’re missing We're in the dark here Mandy. And I need to get Ray back”

“Um....okay. So, Dr Saskia Renkov. Virologist and forensics expert. Goes under the name Sassi Renkov. I’m looking at her file right now "   
She sighs speed reading through it " Lived in the US, since age seven. Moved there with her mother and stepfather. Her mother divorced her father who then disappeared from Moscow shortly after. Appears nothing more was known" she scans the file quickly “Mother died of cancer in 2014. Oh my god....” she frowns as she reads the file

“What?”

She pauses a moment, re reading the details “Stepfather was stabbed to death in a park, nearly a year later. Report says street robbery. Then it looks like she left on trip to Moscow shortly after. Her visa says it was a memorial trip. That she took her mother’s ashes. She failed to return when the visa expired. That’s when we believe the Russian government must have taken her. She’d been working on several papers regarding airborne pathogens at the time”

“Shit! Sonny was right. They did force her to make this bomb” he rubs his head.   
  
Something comes to him and he feels in the inner pocket of his vest. Unfolding the black and white photograph that he tucked away for safe keeping. He takes his phone and clicks a picture "“HAVOC I’m sending something over. It’s the only thing we managed to recover from the Icebreaker, after the helo downed Can you find out who it is"

“Copy that. I’ll get back to you”

"Anything. Give me anything on this Vladim. I need some leverage to use. Until then were gonna have to try and make the numbers count more in our favor”

“Copy that Bravo one. Get back to you asap”

“Copy that HAVOC, one out!”  Jason leans back, resting, taking a moments peace “ BRAVO 6 give me a sitrep”

 

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

 

Clay stops and sits down in the corridor where they are  “BRAVO 1 copy. Yeah, it's slow progress. We got tangos all over the place up here." he laughs "seems they’re all like Sonny and they like to eat!"

“SHIT! Okay, keep at it. We need to get that case back. ASAP!”

“Copy that BRAVO 1..  6 out!”

 

“Sonny where we at?” Clay frowns at him.

“Well..." he sighs rubbing his head " We got at least six tangos in there. Two here, in the corridor, looks like they doing a rolling patrol. We’re gonna have to take them out first. The last thing we need is bringing all that extra heat at once” He looks at Sassi, he's concerned about her “Let’s find somewhere safe to stash our HVT first”

 

They carry on walking to the far end of the corridor. They try several doors until eventually they find one that's unlocked. With the power off only the corridors are lit by emergency lighting and it's pitch dark inside the windowless cabin.   
  
“You can’t just leave me here!” she panics "I hate the dark. And what if someone comes? What do I do then? My hands tied, nothing to defend myself. You can't, you can't leave me here”

“It’s gonna be fine alright. You just have to sit tight. We’ll come back for you." he can see the panic in her face "Sassi I promise. Please it's safer if you stay here”  
  
“No! No, I’m staying here. Not like this. I’m not just gonna sit here and wait for them to find me”

 

Sonny gets a small flashlight out of his vest pocket and a chem light. As he breaks it the small room fills with a bright green glow. Then he takes the knife out of his vest and cuts the ties on her hands.

“Sonny, what the hell you doing?” Clay frowns at him

“Clay, she's right. We can’t leave her like this. If we don't get back and they find her. Well who knows what they’ll do. At least give her a chance.”

“Shit!!” Clay rubs his head "This is a bad idea Sonny. A really bad idea" As much as he hates it he gives a long sigh and gives in, but not without a very long sigh which makes it very clear to Sonny that he has reservations.  
  
He looks at her “Okay! You listen up. You stay here, you don't leave. Not until one of us comes back for you. Do you understand?”

She nods “Yeah! Yeah sure.”

Clay heads out the door and Sonny follows him “Sonny!” she calls out. He turns around to look at her “Sonny, I’m scared!”

“Hey! Hey, I know. But  come on, you're gonna be fine. You’re safe as long as you stay in here and keep the door locked"

She shakes her head and in the warm green glow of the artificial light Sonny can see that she looks like she’s about to cry. "Maybe I should just give myself up? I mean it's me they've come for right, these guys? It's me they're looking for."  
  
"You’re not going anywhere alright." Sonny’s head is in a dilemma. He looks at the door then back at her, follow Clay and leave, or stay here to reassure her. "Sassi, we hand you over and we're all dead okay. Just cos they get what they want doesn't mean they won't kill any of us. Just trust me and stay here"  
   
"Please... Sonny don't go!"

"Oh hell!"  he lets the door go and it closes. He stands in the cabin his hands on her shoulders, looking at her face in the dull green glow “Look…” he sighs “please, just sit tight. We’re only gonna be around the corner. We're gonna take these two guys down and then we're gonna come back for you"

She bites her lip “You promise? I mean what do I do if they come?”

“Just….just yell!” he smiles, brushing her hair back from her face “Just yell and I’ll hear ya! But it won’t come to that”  he puts his hand on her cheek “You’ll be fine, I promise” he smiles

She nods as she watches him watching her. Something about the way he speaks, it's so calming. He stops her from overthinking the situation “Okay. Okay.." she takes a deep breath in "I'm gonna be okay!"

 

Clay comes back to the door “Sonny, what the hell's the problem now? “he frowns seeing him standing with her

“Nothing, nothing. She's just scared.But I’m coming now” he pulls the cabin door closed behind them

 

“What the hell was that about?” Clay frowns

“Nothing! I told ya, she was frightened.” he looks at Clay “Seriously man, nothing! She just needed calming down. Look, the last thing we need with a room full of trigger-happy Russians, is a panicking scientist, right?”

  
Clay sighs “Yeah, yeah you're right! Good call. But that better be all it is, cos I’m telling ya sonny. That's a dangerous line you’re walking”

“I’m not walking anything alright. There’s nothing going on.”

“Good! Then keep it that way.”

 

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

 

Silently they sit at the two corners of the corridors. Then without a sound or any warning they take out the first of the hostiles.  
There's a light muffled thud on the floor, as Sonny eases the weight of the first Russian's body to the floor, his arm lowering him slowly so as not to disturb the peace.

Then just as silently, Clay has his arm round the neck of the second. And in a quick and sudden move he drops his body to the floor too. They desperately try the rows of cabin doors till they find another unlocked one. Dragging both of the bodies inside out of sight.  
  
Then once again the corridor is quiet. Calm and still, there's no signs that anything just occurred there.

  
The door to the mess room opens, and a large, squarely built, Russian sailor calls out down the corridor “Viktor? … Ustin?”   
  
There's silence and he frowns. Growing more agitated the longer he waits. “VIKTOR! Ty Gde?... Viktor… where are you?” Still no answer.  he tries again in English also but still no response.   
  
He frowns shaking his head and he leans back inside the mess room door picking up his weapon.Then cautiously he steps into the corridor surveying its emptiness. He walks further away from the mess room, continuing around the corner and down to the farthest end of the cabins  
  
“Ustin!.. .. ty gde?.... Viktor?” he frowns, walking with more caution the further from the mess room he gets. He tries all of the doors along the corridor  
  
Checking back on himself he feels a shiver on the hairs on his neck. Something just feels wrong and he’s torn between continuing his search and heading back the warmer more jovial atmosphere of the other Russian men blissfully eating and smoking.   
  
He berates himself for going it alone. His apprehension being shown in his demeanour, sticking close the wall and his hand nervously on the trigger of his weapon. “Viktor” He calls out again, more quietly now, his hushed tone that says he doesn’t really want to find out what happened to Viktor or Ustin because what might have happened fills him with dread.

He's not a trained military man. He did his conscripted duties, but he didn’t ‘volunteer’ for the voyage with the intention of getting killed, it was more the substantial extra monies that were being offered. Though once Vladim gave him the options once they set sail, options, that weren’t really options well not ones  he would have chosen voluntary, he now finds himself here in a corridor on a US Navy warship facing unknown danger.  
  
Clay looks at Sonny across the corridor from himself. They have an unspoken understanding of each other’s thinking, each knowing the next move of the other, so there's no need for communication only an acknowledging glance, before they move position, before they work as one unit. That’s the beauty of BRAVO, each man is a cog in the one machine  
  
Nikhil stops as hears a noise. He turns silently, working out that it came from one of the cabins. Does he check out the noise or turn tail and head back leaving it unchecked?  
  
The noise, unbeknown to him, are the books Sassi knocked from the shelves in the cabin which is dark with only the small green glow from one of the chem lights Sonny left her with.   
  
Her breathing is deep and slow as she hears Nikhils, Russian, voice call out looking for his companions. Something stupidly, makes her open the cabin door and look out, checking the corridor in the dimness of the emergency lights and there she is face to face with him but she’s not actually that scared.   
  
It’s a face she recognises from the research ship and they stand staring at each other intently, both unable to move, firmly rooted to the spot, both of them unsure of the others intentions next  “Nikhil?” She softly calls as she looks at him  
  
“Sassi? You ‘lone?” his heavy Russian accent replies to her. He remembers her from the ship, he remembers sharing vodka.  
  
She remember the vodka and she remembers him pushing her against a table, grappling with her clothes. That's the first time she had to threaten someone with the knife that Vladim gave her. Right now, she doesn't have a knife as she watches him smile at her.  
  
"Nikhil.. please just let me go"  she frowns her breathing slows as he lowers his weapon. He smiles as he looks up and down the corridor   
"You 'lone, yes? You come with me now”  
  
She shakes her head “No!”

He frowns, and they just stand staring at each other, neither of them moving. Then he grabs her by the hair, twisting it around his hand and pulling her towards him, pushing the cabin door open wide with the muzzle of the gun, He peers into the green lit room but doesn't see anyone else.   
  
He smiles, at the sight of the empty cabin and holding her tight against him he kisses into her neck.  
  
"No, please get off me!!" she cries as he tries to push her through the doorway into the cabin. She forces her hands and feet against the entrance making it difficult for him to push her in.   
  
She manages to free herself and slip from his grasp. First, kicking him hard in the softness of his balls.For a moment he's stunned and drops to the floor but as she gathers herself and works out which way to go he manages to grab her foot bringing her down to the floor beside him. She grapples with him kicking out until she's free enough to head down the corridor.  
  
He follows until she gets to the end, a dead end. It's dimmer down this end of the hallway a few of the emergency lights are not working

He smiles realising she is trapped. "Please....please Nikhil let me go!.... HELP!!" she squeals out not thinking who's attention she might be attracting to help her she just hopes Sonny hears her.

Nikhil is large and over the top of her. Pushing her back hard against one of the closed doors and it takes the wind from her sails. She takes a breath for a moment.   
"Please..." she begs pitifully has he pulls at her shirt. Ripping the buttons, then grabbing at her bra underneath his large hands firmly on her body as he turn her around to face the door pulling at the combats she’s wearing undoing his own belt with one hand and holding her hands pinned to the door with the other "You give me what I want, then you come with me!" 

He undoes his belt dropping his pants to his knees then pushing her back against the door, forcing her legs apart with his knees, as he tries to tug at her underwear.   
  
She lets out another scream and he clamps his hand over her mouth. "Mmmm! mmmm" she groans fighting with him until she can't anymore. 

Then they both look around, hearing a noise. He picks up his weapon from the floor. Glancing towards the sound while pulling his pants up with his other hand.  
  
It’s Sonny. He coughs trying to divert his attention away from her, and she looks back at him as he quickly glances at her again. She can see the fear in his face now and she has to do something, distract him “Nikhil” she calls quietly again “strelyat!”  
  
He frowns “What?..Strelyat?” he’s confused and scared and the frown on his face deepens. She nods at him “Strelyat?” he questions again. It makes him hesitate.  
  
“Yes… strelyat, shoot! “  
  
He’s confused and more afraid now, as he turns his body away from the sound of the coughing and lifts his weapon. His hand shakes with nervousness. And he stares her straight in the eye.  
  
Then, in a blink without any thought or major movement, from anyone, the sound of two gun shots ring out.  
  
The first one goes off accidentally, fired from Nikhil's weapon. It clips the side of Sassi's thigh And the second, from the side corridor hits Nikhil straight in the head.  
  
The quiet is broken with a thudding sound as he drops to the floor and her muffled scream from behind him. She wants to cry out again the pain in her leg is too much too bear She puts her own  the hand over her mouth crying into it as she holds her bleeding leg with her other one She takes deep breath. She's in shock from the hot burning pain that she can feel.  
  
  
  
Sonny and Clay take a breath, checking the corridor as they move onto the scene in front of them. Before they get there, shes fallen crumpled onto the floor, holding the top of her leg. It feels like it’s on fire.  
  
“Shit!” Sonny looks at Clay. They run to the end of the corridor and Sonny tends to her wound, urgently. While Clay deals with the clean-up of Nikhil’s body from the corridor floor. Dragging it inside another if the unlocked cabins that he finds.  “Sonny,we need to move! Those shots are gonna attract attention!”  
  
“We need Trent. She’s been hit!”  
  
He scoops her up in his arms from the floor “We need to find somewhere to go and look at this wound!”  
  
They both frantically look around searching for a way out that will put distance between them and the mess room.  
  
Sassi clutches the top of her thigh. The blood is now soaking through the fabric of her pants and onto her fingers as she leans back while Sonny carries her. The pain is ripping into her body and she screws up her face trying to counter the burn that she feels in her leg.  
  
Clay tries to reach the others on the radio but once again all he gets in interference   
“Bravo 1 this is BRAVO 6 do you copy? BRAVO 1 this is bravo 6 do you copy” he closes his eyes praying for a second “BRAVO 1,Radio Check. ...BRAVO 5, radio check.. oh, for god sake! C'mon don't do this, not now!"  
He sighs again “Bravo 1, do you copy?.... Oh fuck! What the hell is with this radio?” he rubs his head “BRAVO 1, radio check! Damn it! It’s not good I’m not getting any response.   
  
Sonny frowns at him "We haven’t got time. You’ll have to go to them.”  
  
  
Sonny carries her back inside a cabin further down the corridor. He lights it up with another chem light glow. With the power still off this one is just as dark as the first and Clay finds a torch and a couple more chem lights that gives them some green light to work with. And they lock the door, sealing themselves in.

Sonny rips at the hole in the blood-soaked material to her pants, getting a better look at the wound in her thigh. “It’s not too bad. Looks like it clipped the side, bullets gone through ”  
  
She frowns at him “Really? Cos it hurts, a lot!”  
  
“No!” he smiles “It's just nicked the side of your thigh. It has torn the flesh but doesn’t look like it's hit anything serious. You’re gonna be alright!”  
  
 She closes her eyes and cries out “Oh it hurts so bad though! _Aahhhhh! " s_ he grips at the blankets on the bunk where she’s laid _“ahhh!_ Damn!” she grimaces as she watches him padding it with dressings “How bad is it?”  
  
 “It could be worse" Sonny smiles "Hang in there, we’re gonna sort it “  
  
Sonny get his mediPac out and firstly gives her some pain relief in the form of a morphine injection "Give it five minutes and the pain will wear off."   
He turns around “Clay go! Go get Trent, we’re gonna need him. He’s got IV pack and anti-biotics. I can dress it temporary, but he’ll be able to sort it before infection sets in!”  
  
Clay frowns “Right. Okay, you sure you’re gonna be alright here?”  
  
  
He checks outside the door and down the corridor, so far their take downs have not alerted any attention from the others in the mess room, but how long that will last is anyone’s guess.  
  
“Yeah! Clay I’ve got this, just go!”  
  
“Okay! Pull that bandage tight, try to stop the bleeding until Trent gets here”  
  
“Yeah, yeah I know what I’m doin', now just go get help! And Clay,…”  
  
“yeah?”

  
“Just be careful, alright!"”  
  
He nods and smiles. He can always count on Sonny to worry about him "Yeah always am. Now lock this door” As he gets to the door he stops and frowns  “Wait!” he frowns again looking back at them “Why did you say shoot?”  
  
  
She looks at Sonny as he looks her in the face both unsure about Clay’s question “What? Clay quit wasting time”  
  
“No! I wanna know why she said shoot, I heard you.. ‘strelyat’.…that’s what you said?” 

 

“Clay I gave her a shot of morphine.. she probably don't know what the hell you talking about Look, just go get Trent!” Sonny pulls at the bandage making it tighter round her leg and increasing the pressure to stop the bleeding  
  
  “Awww! …Shit! Ah it hurts” 

“Sorry! Shouldn’t be long and that morphine will have some effect ”  
  
She nods the grogginess and drug induced fog start to make it harder to think “I...I  was trying to distract him. I don't know I just.. it was all I could think. I  just wanted to ...stop him.” she shakes her head confused    
  
“Clay, just go!”  
  
  
Clay feels uneasy as he looks back at them, but he picks up his weapon and heads out the door. Without any working radio he's heading toward the last known location for the rest of his team. Up the stairs and towards the top of the ship, towards the Bridge  
  
“Bravo 1, this is BRAVO 6 do you copy” There's still only a buzz of static in his ear. He lets out a long sigh “Bravo 1 .. Radio check, copy.” he resigns himself the fact he’s going to get no answer and that pushes him along at speed to the stair well.  

 

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

 

 The morphine is starting to take effect and as she relaxes more as she sinks back into the pillows on the bunk, while Sonny keeps up the pressure on the wound until the bleeding starts to subside  
  
“You okay?” he pushes her hair back from her sweaty forehead and  he feels it with the back of his hand. She looks up at him and smiles  
“Trent will be here soon. He'll make it much better. Is the pain starting to calm down now?”   
  
She nods again, it’s about the only reaction she can muster  “Sorry ……I feel a bit ..a bit, groggy”   
  
He laughs “Yeah, you’re fine. The morphine will do that.”   
  
She smiles at him “It’s kinda nice. I feel like I'm drunk.”   
  
“Yeah" he smiles "It’s not a bad feelin' "  
  
  
She keeps looking at his face as he leans closely over her. He’s only inches away from her, quietly talking, reassuring her. Some of the words she can't make out as she drifts in and out of the pleasant but foggy feeling. She lifts her hand, gently placing it his cheek “Thank you. Once again you saved me” she smiles  
  
“Hey, you’re welcome Mam. That’s what I’m here for. Take you back alive" he smiles "So, just doin’ my job”  
  
“Well it a good that you are… or I might be in trouble.” She closes her eyes  
  
“Hey, you okay?”  
  
“Yeah!” she opens them again and looks at him “I’m good. It just aches a bit. Feels like someone stabbed me with a hot poker”

 “Yeah, gunshot can feel like you a kebab on a barbecue”  
  
 “Wow! A Texan talking about Barbecue.. that's a novel thing” she smiles

He returns her smile with one of his own “oh, well at least ,you still got a sense of humor I see. Maybe you had too much morphine”

 

She laughs as he watches her intensely. She's watching the look in his eyes as they flick back and forward across her face. But before he can move away, her hand grasps at the side of his head, pulling him towards him. Her lips manage to find his, and she kisses him.  
  
He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. He knows he should stop this. And he turns his head to check the doorway. Any moment now Clay and Trent could come back, but he still  doesn’t pull away. His head screams _Sonny stop this, its madness!_  
  
He comes up for a moment only a few inches from her lips, just giving himself enough time to think about this. His eyes darting back and forward watching the glazed look in eyes, from the morphine shot he gave her “You know we can’t do this”   
  
She nods her head “I know." She smiles, laying her head back into the pillows, the morphine making her relax " We really shouldn’t but...” she gulps as they watch each other, nose to nose,  
  
Neither of them moves as he  runs his thumb along the bottom of her chin and over her lip. Then he leans in towards her but before he can think to move away she wraps her arm around his neck, holding him, his lips on hers and she doesn't let him go.   
  
Now he can’t stop. Completely forgetting how wrong this all is. At this moment they are just two people who want each other and that's all he knows. That they both want this, and that they’re both enjoying it, way more than they should.  
  
  
 “ _Awww! Oh_ God!!” The weight of him lying against her thigh, shoots a pain up her leg bringing their forbidden passion to juddering halt as she cries out   
  
  
“Oh my god! I am so sorry. Oh Shit!! did I hurt you?" he rubs his head "Oh what the hell am I doin'?” he rubs his head. Then forgetting about the kisses he checks on her leg   
“Are you okay?” He frowns he can see another small pool of red blood starting to leak through the bandage. He looks her back in the face at the pain he can see “I’m so sorry. Sassi, I'm sorry. Oh,this can’t happen. between us, it shouldn't have happened. I’m sorry Oh god, what a mess!”  
  
 “ Sonny..” she puts her hand on his cheek

 “No!” he pushes her hand away “Hell no! This needs to stop. This is wrong… so wrong” he takes a breath  as he gathers himself. “I can’t believe I did this. Not again! I told Clay I had this in hand, but I don't!”  
  
 She sighs frustrated and sits herself up as much as she can “Why? Why is this so wrong Sonny? If we like each other.”   
  
“Oh my god, you’re drunk, you're drunk on morphine. Can you hear yourself. This is my job, a navy seal, and you’re .. well. You’re part of that job! Hell technically, you're... my prisoner, well kind of. Oh, hell I don't know what you are, but I know this shouldn't be happenin "  
  
“What because of what’s going to happen to me? Or cos you think I’m just a package to be delivered, an HVT or whatever Jason called me?” she frowns as some new tears roll down her cheeks. She lets out a long sigh of utter disgust.

“I don’t know, I don’t know what the hell’s gonna happen to you when we get back. But that’s not the point. The point is this just can’t happen.. okay!  and I’m sorry”  
  
 She shakes her head, then lays back in the pillows. Putting her hand gently against the bandaged area on her leg trying to ease the pain  
“Fine! I get it But just remember, you wanted me and  I know it"  
  
“Oh hell..” he rubs his head, feeling so lost and out of his depth “I can’t do this When Clay gets back, I can’t be near you anymore, okay. I’m sorry for that but I can’t. I’ve um... I’ve got someone back home, and even without that, this is wrong!“ He sighs he’s so confused and mixed up about his feelings. He wishes he never started any of this “Hell!! I can’t believe I let this happen. We let the moment get to us and.. and I should have stopped it”   
  
  
“But the point is you didn’t, you didn't stop it. You wanted it to happen again. You could have gone, instead of Clay. But you didn’t, because you wanted to be here with me”  
  
 “Yeah and that was my mistake. I shouldn’t have put either of us in this position, you're right” he sighs “I knew I was tempted again, and I should have done something about it!”

 She lets out a long-tired sigh, closing her eyes so she's not looking at him “Yeah whatever! Just forget it now. I just wanna get out of here”  
  
“Sassi don’t say it like that, if it could be different..... It’s not you okay, it’s not your fault. You've been through the mill; I've seen it before people in stressful situations looking for comfort I should have known better. You were vulnerable and I took advantage”   
  
“Okay, just shut up . You made your point. Just get us out of here”    
  
  
He watches her as she lays there, eyes closed. Thinking he should never have gone there, no matter how much he likes her;   
  
Now suddenly he has to stop thinking about her about this because he's listening  
  
"Shh!" He listens harder he can here noises in the  corridor. It’s the rest of the Russians from the mess hall, they've realised they are missing some of their comrades. And they've headed out in search of them. He listens at the back of the closed door, double checking its locked   
  
“Sonny, what’s wrong?” She looks up at him    
  
“Shhh! We got company”  
  
She gulps also listening to the sounds of the Russian voices in the corridor. They're near to the room. “They’re looking for Nikhil, and the other two”  
  
Sonny nods and steps back readying his weapon. They both hold their breath as someone rattles the door handle trying to push it open. Finding it locked they continue on down the corridor, trying each and every door as they move on.  
  
Sonny lets his breath out. There's a sudden crackle in his ear, a static sounding noise and then loud and clear comes Clay’s voice “BRAVO 3, this is BRAVO 6 do you copy?”  
  
“Finally" Sonny smiles relieved before in a low whispering voice he answers him  “BRAVO 6 this is BRAVO 3 copy”  
  
“BRAVO 3, we’re on route to you now. We have a few hot spots to take care of but be with you ASAP”  
  
“Copy that BRAVO 6, we got some heat here to

 

"BRAVO 3. Can you hold position for now?”  
  
"Yeah we're good, nothing we can't handle" he sighs

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

 

There’s a soft tap at the door and Sonny unlocks it letting Clay and Trent in.  “You okay?” Clay frowns

“Yeah we're good!”

 

Trent gets to work treating her leg “You did a good job here Sonny, make a medic of you yet” he smiles at her “Did he take care of you okay?”

She smiles awkwardly as Sonny looks away “Yeah, yeah he has a great bedside manner" she smiles as Sonny bites his lip, unable to look at her but she does make him smile.

 

Clay watches him suspiciously; he knows there’s more to that awkward look he has in his eyes. “You alright?”

“Yeah I’m good” he looks at Clay, smiling trying to put him at ease “No, really. Everything’s cool!”

“Yeah" Clay sighs "Yeah if you say so”

“Clay, what the hell’s that supposed to mean?”

“I don’t know Sonny, you tell me?” Clay glares at him, shaking his head.  Clay has a bad feeling that Sonny’s not telling him the truth.  
He gets a sense that something that shouldn’t have, has gone on in his absence. He looks over at her as Trent treats her wound and he lets out a long sigh of frustration.  
  
The way she looks over at him, it says there's an unresolved issue between them, and that more has gone on than Sonny can admit.   
Clay wishes he’d never left them alone. He knew it was the wrong thing to do, when he left he felt like he shouldn't have. He should have sent Sonny for Trent instead. but he went against his gut and now he has a bad feeling that it’s probably going to get them all, especially Sonny,  in trouble.

 

 


	6. Tell Sonny I'm sorry

She lays back against the hard mattress on the bunk. Her leg a little less painful now thanks to the morphine that Trent's been giving her.   
  
Even though her she's drifting in and out of sleep, on an opiate high, she can hear them all chatting, making plans and working out their next moves. “We’ve gotta get you moving now" Sonny's blunt and he doesn't smile at her this time "Do you feel up to it?”  

She nods, smiling at him “I think so”

“Okay..” Clay watches them and interrupts “..then you need to listen up, if we tell you to do something then you need to do it, there and then. If we say stop, you stop. You got it?”

She nods again. She hasn’t really listened to him, thinking more about other things, such as her and Sonny, and their kiss. She has a lot going through her mind and she shuts off from everything else as they help her to her feet. She grips at Clay's arm. She's feeling very  lightheaded.  
  
“You sure you're okay?”

“Yeah, just a bit lightheaded. I’ll be alright”

“Okay, let’s go then.”

  
Sonny leads at the front. Trent responsible for Sassi and Clay follows at the rear. They stop at the corner of the corridor, by the mess room, while Clay and Sonny check out the empty space. "Okay, we're clear. Let's move"

They check some of the cabin doors until they're able to find another one that's unlocked. They set her down on the floor so she's safe, while they check out the rest of the corridor “Sonny, you 're with me!”

“Sonny,” she calls “Can’t you stay with me?” she grimaces with from the pain

“No!”  Clay intervenes ”Sonny’s with me. Trent will look after you now”

Trent frowns “I really don’t mind, she’ll be fine. I can come with you. I mean as long as she sits still, her leg will be fine”

“No! Sonny stays with me. You stay" Clay sighs "Trust me its better this way”

She glares at Clay “I’d rather Sonny stay. He makes me feel more comfortable”

“No! Clay’s right, it's better if Trent stays with you, just in case anything happens with your leg”

“Okay!” she sighs “If that’s what you want? I’m good with it” She has to admit, she never thought she'd feel this way about Sonny, especially how he was with her when they first met. But now she's confused regarding her feeling towards him.

“Yeah, really it’s for the best, like Clay says”

 

 

**o-o-o-o-o-o-o**

 

Sonny and Clay head toward the mess room. “ You ready? On three! Three....two ...one, go! ”  
  
Clay opens the door and Sonny steps in while Clay covers him. The room is empty, except for one lone guy smoking a cigarette. He stands up making a move towards the weapon he stood beside the table leg. "Too late Sunshine!" as Clay lets out a round from silenced weapon and the guy drops to the floor.

 

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

 

Trent and Sassi sit in the dark of the cabin. It's silent except for the sound of their breathing.  
  
“You okay?" He quietly asks as she hasn’t spoken to him for some time. He can just about see her in the really dim light, and he sees her nod.   
  
He frowns now hearing a noise “Shhh! Quiet" They both listen but she can’t hear anything, except the ringing sounds of silence in her ears. But Trent can hear it, the sounds of movement in the corridor “Stay put” he whispers

“Where are you going?” She gasps at the thoughts of being left alone again. Her breathing quickens as she starts to panic watching as he gets up to leave   
  
“I'm just gonna check this out. I'll be right back"  
  
She takes another deep breath as Trent leaves, leaning her head back against the cabin wall, taking the opportunity to relax and compose herself. She grimaces, holding the top of her thigh. It's hurting again now. While she sits there, in the dark, she watches the door in case Trent comes back, then she pulls a metal object from the leg pocket on her pants. She smiles, turning the blade over in her hand, feeling the weight in her palm.  
  
She got the knife  back when she slipped it from Sonny’s utility vest pocket when he was busy kissing her. Closing her fingers around the handle she lays the sharp steel in her other hand, just sitting there looking at it. Then as Trent puts his head in the doorway she jolts forward in surprise, covering the blade with her fingers as she carefully slides it under her leg.

Trent frowns “You okay?”

“Yeah. Yeah I'm fine. Everything okay with you?”

“No! No, that guy, he saw me. I have to go after him. So, you need to stay put”

“Okay.... yeah, yeah I’ll just stay here” she smiles at him "I'm fine."

“Listen, one of us will be back for you soon”

She listens for sounds until she's sure she can no longer hear him. She pushes herself into a standing position, using the wall of the cabin to steady herself. She continues to stand getting her balance. It takes a little more time than she thought because with her whole weight on her leg, it's really painful. The morphine is starting to wear off now and her thigh aches.

She takes a deep breath, sliding the black handled blade into the side pocket of her combat pants. Then slowly and quietly she opens the cabin door, heading out into the dimly lit, now empty, corridor.

It takes her a while to get down to the end to the stairwell. The damage and pain in her leg slowing her down more than she realised “ _Aww!_   She grimaces _Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea!_ But finally, she gets herself to the doorway of the mess room. She looks in through the glass panel window in the door. She can’t see Sonny or Clay from here and so quietly, she pushes the door open, looking inside. Now she can hear but not see them.  
  
They’re busy searching the cold stores, trying to find the case that Jason left it. Not that he really knew that's what he was supposed to do with it, but she had told him it wasn't to get warm, so this was the best thing that he could to think to ensure that didn't happen.

“Clay you got it!” she can hear Sonny call out. He's in the nearest cold locker, the door faces the room where she’s standing. Clay is further down the galley kitchens at the back and he can’t actually  hear Sonny from there.

As she turns around, checking out the room, she spots the body on the floor by the table. She ignores it, going forward to towards the door of the cold room, the one where Sonny is. Then quickly, without a word, she pushes the door shut, pulling the lock into place.

“Hey!!....Hey!!!!...Clay!!..Clay, what the hell’s going on? Is this some sort of joke of yours? Cos you know it’s not funny!! Hey c'mon man, we don’t’ have time for this." he listens waiting to hear laughing but he doesn't "Hey!!!!!...... Clay!!”  
  
Sonny bangs hard and loud on the closed door. The cold store is dark, and he starts to panic. Being shut in the dark and the cold like this brings back memories of being shut in the that submarine tube “Clay!! Hey c'mon man this is not funny now. Clay, can you hear me! Clay, please.... let me out now!“ he continues to yell "Clay!! LET ME the Fuck OUT!!"

 

Clay listens he thinks he can hear the sounds of Sonny shouting.  “Sonny?" He listens "Sonny, I found it! The case I found it”  
He picks up the silver case from the bottom storage shelf. The metal case is cold in his hand. He takes in a deep breath, apprehensive about the contents. It makes him shiver as he runs his hand round it checking it’s still sealed. He takes another deep breath as he carries it out into the light of the kitchen. Looking out of the window all he can see, for miles, is grey water and just for a fleeting moment he wonders how long it will be before they get home.  
  
“Sonny?... Sonny where are you, man?” he passes back through the galley kitchen isle, heading to the main eating area.  
  
He stops listening for a moment. It's all quiet, too quiet. And though his hand is still bandaged, and his arm aches he can still manage to hold his weapon. He cautiously steps further out, his eyes darting from side to side looking for some sort of danger. Then he jolts as he can hear a loud banging sound coming from the other cold storage. He heads towards the sounds and as he does he sees Sassi sitting on the floor

“Hey! Hey, what’s happened?" he frowns "You okay? How did you get here?”

She shakes her head “I tried to open the door, but I couldn’t. I think Sonny’s inside”

“It’s okay, it's fine, we’ll get him out, but what are you doing here, where’s Trent?” Clay frowns something is making him nervous, apprehensive, something is not right here.

 “We heard a noise, and Trent went after it, he didn’t come back. I got scared, so I came to find you. Then I  heard Sonny shouting but, I can’t open the door”

  
She grabs at her leg and groans “I can’t get up; can you give me a hand?”

“Um.. yeah sure. Let’s get you up, then we'll get Sonny out of there. He gotta be freaking out being trapped, he got stuck somewhere recently and he's not good in small spaces.”

Clay leans his weapon beside the kitchen unit, standing the silver case next to it as he  bends down to help lift her up. Just as he gets her in a standing position he feels the hot sharp slashing pain across his side. It takes his breath away and he gasps. Letting her go as he staggers backwards. “Ahhh!" he cries out in shock. His hand covered in blood that starts to seep from the large wound in his waist. He stares blankly at her as she stands there

"What the hell?” He's totally stunned, unsure of what’s happened. The burning sensation starts to creep up his body. He puts both his hand to try and stem the blood flow.  
  
He looks her straight in the eyes searching for answers, then his knees buckle a searing pain rushes to his head making him feel faint. The pain is ripping through every fibre in him He drops to his knees then rocks back

“Ahhh! What the hell did you do?” He manages to breathlessly get his words out. His breathing is panicked the shock of the situation setting in as he rushes to gather his thoughts about what to do.

She grabs his weapon and the case beside it and balancing herself she watches him "I'm sorry" she closes her eyes, "I really am sorry please tell Sonny....I'm sorry" she wipes the tears from her face streaking Clay's blood over her cheek

He close his eyes to the swirling pain clouding any thoughts he  might have of stopping her  “What the hell…are ..you...doing?.. Why?” he stutters at the pain

“Why? Does it really matter now?" she starts to cry "I’m not gonna spend the rest of my life in some hell hole jail that you decide or be a pawn in some game before the CIA trade me back. This .. “ she holds up the case “this was mine! And we're gonna use it, to make sure that doesn't happen"   
  
She wipes her nose on the back of her hand, noticing now how much blood is on it. She looks her hand shaking as she wipes them on the towel hanging over the cabinet. " Oh god, you’d never understand why” she gulps “But... but please tell Sonny I'm sorry. I never wanted to do anything that would hurt him. In another lifetime things might have been different for us. He's a really special person... know that.”

Clay's fading in and out of consciousness now. His vision is blurring “Then don't do this... if he... he's so special to you... don't do this.... "   
He sighs, he doesn’t even have the strength to move position now. The blood still seeping from the wound and when he moves, even slightly, it gives him too much pain.

“Yeah I do. I do have to do this.. You don't understand, it’s too late… You can’t save anyone now, but I might be able to save me. I'm gonna use this to do that.”

“What the hell are you gonna do?”

“It won’t matter, to you. I’m sorry I wish this had never been made but... now it’s my ticket to a new life."

Clay's sweating lots and he's gone a really pale color, just before he collapses backwards onto the floor his eyes closed. He doesn’t see her leave  
  
  
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Trent pulls the door open to the mess room He's been searching frantically “Where the hell are they?”

He stops in the doorway at the sound of a noise, he lifts he weapon as he cautiously enters. He can hear a loud banging of something against metal and the sound of low breathless groaning.  
  
The first sound is Sonny. He's found a tin pot to bang on the door with the metal becoming too cold for him to keep using his fist. The sounds are becoming few and less frequent because he's physically struggling with the cold, whilst his mind is struggling with the darkness. He's trying to stave off a full panic attack. Concentrating his focus on the rhythm of his banging.  
  
“Get me out of here!.... Clay!” he sounds so desperate now. He knows this is not one of Clay's pranks, it’s been way too long now even clay wouldn't take it this far and so that means that something similar or god forbid worse has happened to Clay.   
  
Then suddenly without warning, the door to the cold store swings open and the daylight comes in. Sonny blinks his eyes rapidly he readies his weapon even though the light is blinding him.   
  
"Sonny are you okay?" the sound of Trent's voice comes from the shadowy figure he can see standing in the doorway  
  
Sonny in a panic with a cold sweat, pale from the cold of the freezer, he struggles for breath as the relief of being freed. The panic attack he supressed starts to consume him   
  
"Sonny calm down. You’re gonna be okay now. Sonny, listen up, just breath slowly. It's a panic attack”   
  
Trent knows exactly why he's panicking he just needs him to calm down “Just sit, sit down. Breath slow.. in .. out… in … out.. calm!” he watches him as he sees the color start to flood back into his face

"Where.....where.....where's Clay?" he struggles with his words

They hear a groaning sound from the galley area "Oh my god Clay! Just stay there and breath Sonny"

“Clay?” Trent gets no response to his call out and Sonny stands himself up. The panic he's feeling is overridden by a new panic. The panic that something has happened to Clay. Then he spots him slumped by the cabinets   
  
“Oh my god!... Trent quick!” Sonny beside him as he's laid barely conscious on the floor, and as they lift him they can see the pool of blood   
  
"Sassi..." Clay struggles to get his words out "Sassi.... she.."

"Okay don't talk right now. Just stay calm" Trent starts to unpack what he has in his medipac

"Sassi?!" Sonny frowns "We forgot about her where is she? Trent, where is she? You were supposed to be watching her"

"Yeah..." Trent is busy putting up an IV line for Clay "That's why I came to find you. She's gone!"

"Gone? What do you mean gone? She's gone where?"

"I left her, there was a sound, a guy. I went after him then when I came back, to the cabin, she was gone! That's why I came to fine you guys. Lucky I did!"

 

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

 

“Hey!.... Heyyyy!" Jason calls out "Where the hell are you going? You need to come this way, with us.”

Sassi looks around and down the corridor where she can see Jason and Brock standing staring at her "Shit!" she closes her eyes then when she opens them she looks around at the door to the bridge.

Jason frowns she's making him nervous “Hey Dr Renkov, what's going on? Where are the guys?” He holds his weapon pointing it at her. Something about the way she's standing is making him concerned.

She gulps putting her hand on her sore leg. She stands still, she’s still holding the silver case and she has Clay's gun over her shoulder. She considers using it but with Jason's weapon trained on her she doesn't have time to move before Jason and Brock are beside her. First Brock takes Clay's gun while Jason takes the case from her possession. "Where'd you get Clay's gun?" he frowns "What's happened? Why are you up her on your own?"  
  
"Um..." She swallows nervously as her hands start to shake "They told me to go. They ran into some trouble. Told me to um...to bring the case up here and find you” she's so nervous and she's wondering if Jason will buy her story

“So why were you headed that way? Towards the bridge”

“I thought that’s where they said you were?"

 

Jason watches her suspiciously, something's not right “Okay come on, we need to go help them!” he hands the weapon and case to Brock, as he grabs her arm

“Aww! Okay, you don't need to pull me like that" she frowns "Why are you taking me ? I can't be any use to you. There's a lot of people down there. You know what you can just leave me here. I'll sit tight till you get back; I'm struggle to walk with my leg... took me all my time to get up here!"

“You know what you're right. Brock, go down and check everything’s okay. I'll stay here and keep Doctor Renkov safe”

"What? No, I'm fine I can wait by myself. I'll be fine. If you want to go. I could look after that .. " she gestures towards the case "Keep it here safe"

“No, it's fine I’ll stay with you, Brock can radio back if he needs me”

She sighs again “I just think maybe they might need both of you”

“No, I’m sure they can handle it. Why are you so concerned?”

 

"No reason" she sighs, sitting down in the corridor and holding leg, she closes her eyes.

“That still hurting you?” Jason frowns

"Yeah." She nods “It hurts a lot after walking up those stairs”

“Here, I'll give you some more pain relief, I have some in my medipac”

“No! No, it’s okay. I’ll be fine. You, just need to give me a minute”

“No, no it’s not a problem. It'll help you feel better" Jason takes the morphine vial from the pack in his bag “We gotta wait here anyway so why be in pain?”

“No! Seriously, I’m good. It’ll pass" She smiles at him "I mean if we have to move because it makes me feel so out of it, sleepy"

“Hey c'mon, it’s a gunshot wound. That’s gotta hurt. There's nothing brave about suffering, if you don’t have to”   
  
Then before she can say any more he jabs the  morphine shot into her leg “Awww! What the hell are you doing?" she frowns, looking at him confused "I said I didn’t need it!”

He smiles at her “Trust me, it’ll help”  
 

After a few moments her head starts to swim. The foggy drunken feeling taking over her mind and blurring her eyes again. She sighs trying to fight the feeling. Oh shit!” she panics trying to shake it off, but she can’t it's consuming her now. Making her feel groggy again but this time it feels much worse. She rubs her head. Jason can see her trying to fight it.

“Just close your eyes. I’m here if anything happens”

“No! No, I ... what's happening?.. What's going on ? Why .....why does it feel worse this time.? I feel .. I can’t…”

“Probably..." she smiles "Cos, I gave you a much higher dose this time. Just relax. Don't fight it”

She rubs her forehead still  trying to shake the feeling off, but she can’t. She leans her head back, her eyes closing. Jason blurs from view as she starts to lose consciousness.

“Oh..." He smiles watching her, he waves his hand in front of her eyes as he sits himself on the floor next to her "Hey you still with me?" he frowns her head drops a couple of times as she tries to shake it off "I  nearly forgot. I found this, in the bunk on the ship, before we left. It's the only thing we managed to salvage, after the helo ditched. Is it yours? Sassi...can you hear me? Is this your photograph?"

She looks at the crumpled black and white piece of paper that he puts in her hand. She smiles “You saved this?” Her voice sounds slurred, drunk like

“Yeah, yeah I did. I guessed it was yours”

 

She nod then she rubs her eyes as she tries to look at it through the groggy blurred haze.

“Who’s in the picture, Sassi? ” Jason clicks his fingers in front of her eyes "I asked you, who's in the photograph?"

“Um…” she shakes her head again. Her head feels heavy, she wants to fall asleep. Jason gave her  much too much morphine and she can't stay awake now. “It’s my …um.. it's...  I mean" she sighs, looking at him smiles "It' um... .. me with my ...with my Mother ....and my......Father"

“How old were you, in the photograph?”

“Um... I think I was six.. my mother said I was six"

“So where are they now?" He continues to question her "Your parents, where are they”

 

She pauses for a moment not able to focus “Um…my mother’s dead.. I don’t know about my father” she sighs “This was before …..” she closes her eyes again “before....before my father sent us away.... make us safe”

   
Jason nods he can see her falling asleep “Sassi…Sassi are you awake?” She struggles to nods but she does, lifting her eyes slightly to look at him “So how did you end up back there, in Russia? What made you go back?”

She closes her eyes tight this time, her eye lids so heavy " I went back ...my....my mother...ill .. " sigh loudly now she struggles to answer his question "my father, he told me not ….” She leans her head on the wall and closes her eyes. This time she's fallen to sleep.   
  
 “Sassi?" He checks on her "Doctor Renkov? .. Saskia?” she doesn't answer to anything now. He can see she is breathing deeply in her sleep. With that, certain she's out he picks her up over his shoulder. Then picks up the silver case on the floor and heads back to the stairs towards the mess room.

 

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

 

Brock looks up at Jason enters the dining area, carrying his sleeping bundle on his shoulder “You okay?” Brock frowns   
  
Jason nods. As he drops her down in the corner on the floor he takes a deep breath "How's he doing ?" Jason looks at her, unconscious in a heap  where he dropped her. He kicks her side with his boot, but she doesn’t move. “Brock make sure she’s secured properly. Don't want her doing anything else when she comes around. Trent, how's he doing?"  
  
"Well he's stable for now" Trent sits back, his hands covered in Clay's blood "but he's lost a lot of blood, and I'm worried about infection"

Clay looks up making a grin at Jason. He's opening and closing his eyes. “Hey kid how are you doing? That morphine kicking in yet?"

Clay nods "Yeah it's good" he smiles. His face is really pale and he's sweating profusely.   
  
Trent has a blood bag and IV line up “They got hospital facilities onboard?" he asks "Cos, we're gonna need to get him there"

Brock looks over "They do, but if you remember it's in the helo deck, and thats what they have locked down. They have smaller medical station; we find a map we can probably find it"

 

Sonny sits leaned back against the wall his head slumped into his hands “This is my fault; this is all my fault”

Jason looks at the knife, that he and Brock took from her earlier he lays it at Sonny's feet "That what did that to him?" Sonny looks up, before lowering his eyes again not saying a word “Is that what she used?" he sneers at Sonny "So, how the hell did she get hold of that? I thought you had it. Safe keeping!”

“Geez! Fuck!" Sonny's head drops again, and he rubs his head "I’m sorry, this is all my fault”

“What the hell did you do Sonny?“

Sonny drops his head again, rubbing his hands over his hair “My damn fault. I didn’t listen." he looks around to where Clay's laid on the floor "He warned me. Jesus Christ!" _This is why you don’t do that sort of thing. "_ Shit! Trent please tell me he's gonna be alright"

“Sonny, what the hell did you do? Do you give her that? Some misplaced loyalty, worrying about her protecting herself, is that what it was?” Jason frowns at him “Surely to god, you’re not that stupid are you? _WE_ protect our targets; we don’t give them ways to protect themselves because... that..." he points at Clay  "That is what can end up happening. Jeez Sonny!"

Jason rubs his head as he stares out of the windows, watching the miles of ocean and the waves crashing. He’s lost in the thoughts of his clouded mind. _What the hell's happening to my team. Clay injured, Ray captured and ... Sonny losing his mind over some crackpot scientist! I gotta work out how to get Ray back. Come on Jason, work the problem._ _  
_  
Sonny sits on the floor, rocking back and forward. The panic of being trapped has long since subsided and now he just has the overwhelming fear that Clay won’t make it, caused by his stupidity.

“Sonny look at me. Did you give her that knife?”

“Not exactly" he shakes his head "More she took it because of my  stupidity” he rubs his forehead with the palm of his hand “I shouldn’t have, hell I just liked her. She must have taken it when I….” he closes his eyes wishing he could take that moment back “when I kissed her “

“What the hell!!! " Jason look at him "When you what??? Jesus  .. Sonny!” Jason clenches his fist his anger, he's like a huge bubble about to explode as he watches him sitting there berating himself. Then he looks at Clay. Trent's still monitoring him, trying to keep him patched up with the limited supplies they have “Sonny get yourself together, I’ll deal with you, once this is over. Right now, Ray and Spenser need you. So, you pull yourself together, right now, you understand me?”

Jason sighs again he's so frustrated "Trent he okay?"

“He’s hanging in there, you know Clay, he's tough, but I'm gonna need some more medical supplies pretty soon"

Jason paces he’s mind is still running solutions. Then he stops pacing but he doesn't say a word. His eyes darting back and forward between each of the people in the room. He stares at the unconscious heap, on the floor in the corner “Hell!...”  He swears as he unfolds the black and white photograph, he took back from her when she closed her eyes earlier, he studies it closely “That’s not right…”

Sonny, Trent and Brock all look at him and frown "Jace you okay?" Brock question as they all wonder what he's thinking about  
  
“This.. this it’s not right!” he taps the picture on to his other hand. He's still thinking, still looking at her as she lays there. Then he looks at Sonny "She said she went back to Russia when her mother was ill, but….but Mandy said her mother died in the US, that it was a memorial visit on her visa. That she took her ashes. What the hell is going on here?” the frown lines deepen on his head

“What is it Jace?” Sonny frowns “No her mother died in Moscow, cancer, she went back when she was ill she told me that. She said her father told her not to go but she did”

Jason pulls up the documents Mandy sent on his phone. He studies the copy of the visa application. “Mandy said she never returned on the visa she had. She went to the US with her stepfather”

Sonny shakes his head “No, no her father sent them away, her and her mother”

Trent watches the look on Jason’s face “Jace, what is it? Something wrong?”

Jason sighs “I don't know. But If I’m right " he looks up at them "Then I think I have a way to get Clay into that medical bay!”

 

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

 

“BRAVO 2, this is BRAVO 1. Do you copy?” Jason puts out the call hoping it gets him the right attention and after a few minutes, it does.

“Master Chief Hayes, what can I do for you?”

Jason takes a breath “I need access to the medical bay and the ships medical crew released. One of my men and my HVT are injured. We need to take care of the wounds”

“I’m sorry. But the answer is no! Request denied. I want my package back”

“Yeah well, see if you don’t let me get to that medical bay for what I need then, one of the things you want is not gonna make it!”

 

Vladim goes silent thinking for a moment “What do you mean, not going to make it?”

“I told you" Jason laughs "The HVT, Doctor Renkov she has a gunshot wound. Now my medic has done his best to patch her up, but we have limited resources and we need more facilities, to treat her she’s in a bad way”

  
There’s another long silence “Dr Renkov is injured, that was careless of you, how has that occurred?”

“Oh, I got your attention now did I ? She’s been shot in the thigh, by one of your men”

Vladim laughs “I don’t believe you”

“Well see... that’s your choice. But we don’t get those medical facilities, then I’ll only have a dead scientist to exchange” Jason pauses. He hopes he’s worked this out right, otherwise his plan won’t work.  
  
  
Sonny and Trent look at him, they can see the concern in his face, but they have no idea what he’s done.

Trent does his best to keep Clay calm and stable, watching him as he groans every now and again. He does his best to comfort him trying to keep him as pain free as possible, but he's still very weak and it worries him

“Master Chief Hayes, Jason. Do you copy?”

Jason stays silent. He's watching as Sassi starts to come around on the floor. As he sees her move, he leans over her, looking her in the face as she starts to open her eyes. Then he does something, some thats probably unforgiveable really. It certainly gives him no satisfaction, despite what she did to Clay. He places the palm of his hand on the bandaged area of her leg, closing his eyes to the screams she makes as he leans down hard, holding firm pressure against wound.  
  
She comes around pretty quick, as she feels a huge surge of pain in her leg, She cries out in agony, as he continues to force pressure on it. Then holding his radio mic, he make sure Vladim gets the full effect of the cries she makes.

  
Trent looks at Clay and takes a deep breath, closing his eyes to the sound. Brock stares at a stain on the floor. They're all uncomfortable with what Jason’s doing, but all of them know there must be a reason behind it.  
  
Sonny closes his eyes. He’s full of regrets but there’s still part of him doesn’t want this. Hearing her to be in pain like that. He closes his eyes. _Why the hell is Jason doing this?_ He knows there must be some information he wants, some reaction he’s trying to provoke. _Jason would never do this just to retaliate_

She cries again “Arrrrghhh!! STOP!! please stop!!" she holds her breath, not even all the pain relief he gave her helps with this pain he’s now inflicting   “Why are you doing this ?” she tries to grab at Jason’s hand to make him stop.

Vladim grits his teeth as the sounds of her cries come over the radio and fill the silence on the bridge. He realises Jason’s not lying to him as he looks at Ray, still tied to the chair, then he looks around at his men holding the Navy officers secure.

They all hear the sounds of pain and their eyes dart back and forth, as everyone tries to work out what’s going on.

 

After a few moments longer, he finally lets her go, taking a breath composing himself. Maybe some of that anger in what he just did was payback for Clay, not that it makes him feel very good and he sits silent. Doing nothing for what seems like minutes, it’s merely moments. He then takes out the black and white crumpled photo from his pocket again and looks at it

“Vladim, I need access to that medical bay as I requested, or trust me, you won’t be getting your......daughter back!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	7. remember what she did

_**The whole story has had a tidy up and the next two chapters (7 and 8 ) have had an edit up (so you may realise you've read very similar )  
Preparing them ready for new chapters coming very soon!  Thanks for you patience I got distracted on another story, or two!** _

 

 _Urggghh!! "_ Net!!..NET!! Chert!!” Vladim screams out. He's rubbing his head furiously, before knocking everything in front of him off the desk. Closing his eyes he’s trying to keep his anger contained inside.  
  
Jason guessing at his secrets, it's made him so angry. He stares at Ray. He's still slumped, hands tied behind his back, on the chair where they left him. His head’s drooped forward in pain, unable to hold it up after the severe beating he took.   
  
But hearing the agitated cry from Vladim, he manages to look up, staring directly at him as Vladim scowls. That look on his face makes Ray to smile. And he guesses, from what he can see, out of his swollen eye, of Vladim’ s expression, that whatever Jason’s just said to him, it upset him a great deall

Vladim takes a deep breath calming himself. He’s still looking at Ray. Not really looking, more looking past him, thinking. Then he looks around at what’s left of the Navy crew still on the bridge “Take them down to the holding cell, in the helo deck, with the other crew,"  
  
He leans over staring Ray close in the face “But not him! No, he stays here, with me” He smiles, pulling Ray's head up by his hair “You’re going nowhere, I need you!”  
  
He lets go of his head, turning around “You three” he points to three members of his original ship's crew “You stay, the rest of you go find our American friends. They’re on their way to the medical facilities. Kill them! Kill all of them, except Hayes!! Bring him here, I want him, alive. You bring him here. I want him to see, he is the one. He got _all_ of his men killed”  
  
He sends them on their way, “Wait!” he calls them back before they exit the door “Nothing.... nothing is to happen to the American scientist” he looks at his most trusted man “I still need her. I need her alive, for now.” He turns his attention back to Ray, smiling at him “So, let’s see if Mr Hayes, will sacrifice himself for his team. What you think my friend? You think your life is worth more to him than his own?”    
  
He pats Ray on the cheek then picks up the radio mic “Master Chief Hayes, you may have your request. You may collect what you need from the medical bay, but I will not be releasing any of the ship’s crew”

The thick Russian accent barking his orders in Jason’s ear annoys even more now “No, I need the doctors”

“No! No, you have a medic with you. That will suffice. You may have access to the facilities, but not the crew, the crew stays where they are”  

 “And Master chief Hayes...“ he tuns around, looking at Ray “... don’t hurt my daughter again!”   
  
He takes out his knife, and with the tip of the blade he trails a long cut right down the outer edge of Ray's arm He cries out in pain. It burns and its agony "If you do, then I will take your man apart, piece by little piece. Do you understand? If she does not make it back to me, neither will your man get back to his family. It's his life, for hers and, yours! Are we clear?”

  
Sassi watches Jason, she can sense somethings wrong as he as he looks at her. Suddenly she feels afraid. She can see that look in his face and it’s almost as if she can tell how he’s feeling and that he’s blaming her.

Jason doesn’t answer just cuts off communications. Now he's fuming with rage. Llooking at her slumped on the floor, he's trying to contain the anger he feels towards Vladim. For what he’s doing to Ray, and for the fact he has no plan yet of how he's going to get him back.   
  
He also blames her, for all the other things that have happened to Bravo and that have contributed to the situation they're in. He looks at her again. She’s the nearest thing he has to take out all that anger on, and he knows, he knows he could so easily do it.   
  
The way he's feeling it wouldn’t take much to lash out at her But he he shakes the feeling away  “Trent! How’s Clay doing?"

“Yeah, he’s pretty stable, could have been a lot worse. But, I don't really wanna move him, unless I have to. I need those medical supplies before we make an attempt to make a move.”

 _Shit!_ Jason rubs his head trying to think, wondering how to adjust the plans he had “Okay!” he sighs “So what do you need?”

“A list of things. Antibiotics, painkillers, dressings. They should have it all in the medical wing as they have a fully stocked hospital onboard”

“Okay” Jason scratches his head thinking “Brock, you stay here with Trent and Clay. Watch their six. They gonna be coming for us. Let’s just hope they think we _all_ left”  
  
He sighs looking at Sonny where he sits on the floor   
  
“Three! Get up! ”  Jason yells at him. He can’t even bare to call him by his name right now "Get your head in the game. We need to go get this medical gear”

He looks around. Pacing back and forward, until he finds himself stood towering over Sassi.   
  
She's still slumped by the wall. She’s closing her eyes, trying to deal with the pain, which he made worse, when he squeezed and hurt her leg. She looks up but doesn’t say a word. Watching and wondering, she's scared. _What’s going to happen next?_

Then suddenly Jason grabs her by the collar on her sweatshirt “GET UP!”  

She frowns and shakes her head “I can’t “

“I said ….” He drags her up onto her feet “Get the hell _UP!”_   
  
He’s furious, holding  her in an upright position. She’s still  struggling with her leg and holds onto the wall. Grimacing with the pain as she holds her, bound, hands against the top of her leg. Rubbing it to ease the burning  aching sensation she can feel in it.     
  
Her hands are still tied together by the restraints that Brock put on earlier. They still limit her movement but Jason, for no real reason, grabs at the loose ends of the plastic zip tie and pull firmly. He makes them bite into her flesh even tighter, making them even more secure.   
  
_“Awww!”_ She cries out looking him in the face. She’s wondering why he felt the need to do that “What the hell!” she gives this pitiful frown. Holding her wrists together hoping that the less movement she makes, the less the plastic will cut her flesh   
  
“C'mon please undo them. They're too tight.” She begs him.   
  
But he has no time for her, no sympathy, nothing. In his eyes she deserves no respect. Everything happening to her is caused by her own actions and Jason really doesn’t care about her.  
  
Sonny frowns. He grinds his teeth together, reminding himself what she’s just done to Clay as he looks over at Trent. If they were honest then both of them are uncomfortable. with the way Jason’s behaving. They know why, but it still doesn’t make it a comfortable thing to watch. Neither of them say a word, nor do they try to defend her.   
  
She bites her lip hard, trying not to show the pain.

“Vladim, he’s  gonna come after us so we’ll take her for insurance!” Jason looks at her, he wishes she wasn’t the key to getting Ray back, but the reality, is that , she probably is. “Sonny... You’re with me! Brock, Trent you stay here with Clay. We’ll be back with what you need, ASAP!”

Everyone looks apprehensive. They know they’re down in team numbers, with Clay injured and Ray being held. Jason knows this is going to be tough on his team. The odds are stacked against them, but right now they’ve got no choice.   
  
“Move!” he shoves Sassi towards the doorway. He has hold of ties on her hand which makes them pull even tighter against her wrists. The pain feels like a hot wire cutting into her skin and she grimaces, though she realises it’s no use complaining because Jason’s not going to give her any sympathy.   
  
And though he would hate to admit it, causing her pain is giving him a focus for his anger, helping him keep his emotions under control.

  
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

As they leave the quiet sanctuary of the dining area, they now apprehensively step into the corridor. They can hear lots of bangs and shouting. Further long the ships hallway   
  
“Sounds like they’re searching for us. We need to throw them off the scent, keep them away from the mess hall for  as long as we can”  
  


Sonny nods his head agreeing with him.

They  look at each other as they work their way, slowly, in tandem along the corridor. Jason’s in front, dragging Sassi along behind him, with Sonny covering the rear.    
  
She’s slower now as she begins to struggle with the pain in her leg. Every time they stop she slumps down to  rest, then it’s hard for her to get going again. With each move she’s getting more and more exhausted and she feels more ill, more sick.

They approach the end corner of the corridor and can hear the noise of footsteps close by and they stop.  
  
  
She starts breathing harder  as the pain is also now filled apprehensive fear  “ _Awww!”_ she again cries in pain as Jason tugs at her to stay quiet.

Jason looks back at Sonny "Shut her up!"   
  
He grabs at her from behind and covers her mouth with his hand. The shock of him doing that so  unexpectedly, makes her gasp.“Don’t make a sound!” Sonny whispers in her ear. She nods and he can feel the vibrations in her body as she nervously shakes from the adrenaline rushing around “Sit down here and stay quiet!”

Jason looks back and whispers to her “You make a sound; I’ll shoot you myself. Do you understand?”   
  
She nods again then looks at Sonny, she wonders he would actually let him do it.

 

Jason indicates _right_ to Sonny and _two_ with his fingers.  Then they both let off shots and she jumps as the muffled sounds of their weapons vibrate beside her. Then she hears the low quiet thud as two bodies drop to the floor.  
  
“Clear!” Jason nods indicating for them to move forward.   
  
Once again yanking her to her feet by the pulling at the plastic ties around her wrists. “Aahhhhh....  Don’t!” she shuts her eyes as a burning pain sears through her leg. The pain triggers an anger inside her and she halts where she is. As Jason pulls her again to move, she won’t move and in temper she shoves him back. She stares at him “I said, don’t!”   
  
That's enough, Jason totally loses it with her slamming her back hard against the wall. He holds her there, pinned with his arm against her neck as she struggles, choking, to stop him. Sonny keeps watching until he can’t anymore. And having seen enough of Jason’s attitude with her he steps in, forcing Jason to let her go “Jace man, don’t! Don't take it out on her!"  
  
He places his hand on his shoulder and Jason swings around now taking his frustration out on Sonny pushing him away, a grip on his collar as he holds him   
  
“Don’t!” he laughs “Are you serious?” Jason looks him full in the face. He can  feel how close he is too close to take a swing at him, so he stops, taking a deep breath in, calming himself. Then he grabs at her, shoving her forward in front of him “Keep moving!”   
  
She looks around, glancing back at Sonny begging him for help. He frowns and ignores her and looks away, as Jason forces her to walk ahead of him.

 

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

 

They get to the medical bay corridor. Having used her as a decoy for the hostile tangos. They've managed to take down at least ten of the Russians that they’ve encountered on their way to this point.  
  
Now they just have to make it to the end of the corridor. This is going to be the hardest part, but they need to get Trent those medical supplies.

  
Jason keeps watch across the corridor to where they need to be _Shit!_  “We’re getting too much heat here. Sonny, we need to get this stuff for Trent, and get back”  
 

“We must have taken over half of them by now?” Sonny rubs his head, he’s tired and frustrated but he’s trying to keep his concentration up.

Jason nods “We’re gonna have to take them all out or come up with something that we haven’t thought of to get Ray back!”

 

“Bravo one this is Havoc do you copy”

“Copy, Havoc this is one”

“Bravo one. Ms Ellis wants to speak with you”

“Mandy!... Tell me you’ve got something I can use”

“Bravo one, I’m working on it… “ She continues. Jason looks at Sassi while he listens.  
  
  
Sassi can only hear his side of the conversation but she can see the smirk on his face as he looks at her   
  
“Copy that Havoc .. Get back to me as soon as you know more”  He smiles again “Well…. seems Mandy might have a plan to get Ray back after all, sending you back to the hell you came from!”

She frowns “Back? What do you mean send me back? Where?”

“Yeah, thought that might get your attention” He smiles “Well it would seem, the CIA’s, Russian counterparts, are ready to make a trade. You, and your father, for Ray back and the tech in the box disappearing forgetting this ever happened”

She shake her head “No! You’re lying”   
  
She watches him trying to gauge his reaction as she shakes her head “No, no I’m not going back. The CIA promised. They promised us, Vinchenkov and me They’d take us back to the US for details on the tech”

Jason nods  “Yeah, yeah I guess perhaps they did” he smiles “but that was Vinchenkov and you, definitely not Vladim! You know, if I have my way then he’s going back in a box and you with him after what you did to Clay”

“But _I_ was part of that deal. They told him, they said they wouldn’t leave me behind”

“Yeah but Vinchenkov is gone! Your _father_ saw to that. So, from what I’ve been told the  CIA are saying deals off! We have the tech anyway and it seems the Russians are keener to get you and Vladim, than that case”

“NO! No, you have to speak to your contact. To this…this Mandy. You need to tell her, that I can give her my research notes, the details that you don’t have. I can tell her what she needs to know”

“Not interested. No! I want Ray back and that means, you’re going back!” he stares at her.   
  
She shakes her head at him “No! No, wait you can’t do this. I’ll speak to him, Vladim I’ll speak to him and get Ray back!”

“No. I don’t believe you anyway. So what? You’re planning on handing it over, the tech, the research all of it? Cos, that’s not what Vladim’ s  planning, is it?” he pauses watching her, waiting for a reaction “No, he’s planning to test that weapon, on the aircraft carrier for the payment he’s received, from his terrorist friends.  That’s what the intel says”

“No! No, he wouldn’t. I don t know what you’re talking about” She frowns  “No! No, he told me, we wouldn’t test it, that it was just a way to get us out of Russia that… No, he wouldn’t lie to me ”

Jason smiles “Yeah, well looks like he did, He did lie to you. But anyway, it’s not gonna happen cos I’m handing you back”

“No!! No. Please, you have to let me speak to them .. to the CIA. They agreed a deal”

He puts his hand up to her “I don’t wanna hear it …” he’s in her face now  “What I need is Ray back, and the crew on this ship released, and I’ll do what I have to, to make it  happen and if that means sending you back on the Russian of that sub that’s waiting, the so be it …And I’m gonna use you to get him back, if you don’t get  Vladim to play ball then you’ll be on that boat without him!”

“You can’t do this. I’m not going back!” she rubs her head the sweat is running off her forehead and she feels sick.

“Oh, are you worried?” he laughs “Yeah I can see why you would be. I’ll bet they’re not gonna take too kindly to one of their scientists trying to sell their tech to the CIA, or anyone else for that matter”

  
 _Awww!_ She groans in pain, sliding down the wall to the floor. Jason sneers at her taking no notice of her at all. Grabbing her up onto her feet again, he pushes her towards the medical bay.

Sonny covers the doorway as Jason gets Trent’s list from his pocket “Sonny, keep watch. We need to get this stuff and  get out of here”

Sassi leans her head back against the wall, where she’s now slumped. She’s trying not to think about what Jason just said. In fact, she can’t think because the pain in her leg is taking all of her concentration.  
  
She looks at Jason as he gathers the medical supplies. She feels weak, dizzy and sick “Sonny, I need the bathroom” she looks at the door she can see the sign on it. She’ll never get there alone “Please, I need the bathroom!”  

Jason looks at her “No chance. You stay where you are!”

“Please, I don’t feel well. C’mon please, where the hell am I gonna go the bathrooms right there, you can see the door” she looks around  “Sonny please!”

He ignores her and just shrugs as Jason looks at him “I can take her?!” Sonny gives him the option but he’s not sure how well it will be received.

Jason looks at her then back a Sonny “Fine! If it’ll shut her up but …I’m warning you…” he’s in Sonny’s face now “she tries anything, and you’re out of this team! For good!”

“Thank you!” She puts her hands out for him, hoping he’ll take the plastic ties off. Jason glares at her as Sonny nods that he understands.

 “Anything Sonny!!” Jason glares while he starts to look for the things on Trent’s list, watching over his shoulder as Sonny pulls her up and marches her to the bathroom.

 

She goes into the cubicle and Sonny turns his back, facing the exit door

 _“Awww!”_ She rests, sitting on the lid of the toilet, grimacing with the painful ache as she tries to pull her combat pants down and looks at the blood coming through the bandage on her leg. It’s been really painful since Jason hurt her and she leans her head on the side of the cubicle taking a minute. She can hardly move.   
  
“Sonny” she calls him through the cubicle door “Sonny, you have to speak to him. Can you hear me? Please…please I can’t go back!” She sits silent as she still gets no reply “Please Sonny, say you’ll talk to him”

“Shut your mouth. Don’t speak to me!” Sonny closes his eyes; he knows he shouldn’t speak to her but even after everything it hurts to ignore her.

  
She screws up her face, she was hoping to appeal to Sonny, but she knows what she, regretfully did to Clay, will not help her to  plead her case. “Sonny ….” She frowns she’s still not sure if he’s listening

“I told ya…Now do what you’re doing and shut the hell up!”

 “Sonny, I don’t feel so well, there’s something wrong” She struggles again. She’s sweating a lot and she puts her hand on her head wiping her forehead. She feels really hot and flushed. She opens the cubicle door and stands, holding herself in the doorway. 

Sonny eventually turns around to check what she’s doing. She’s standing there silently. He can see the color has drained from her face and she has a wet line of  sweat is beading on her forehead.

“Sonny, I’m so hot. I think I’m gonna be sick!”  Then before she can turn around again she retches and throws up on the floor in front of him. Her fingers are clinging to the side of the door frame but then she let’s go and slides down onto the floor.   
  
Her breathes come  in short sharp pants and as she holds her leg. Sonny can see its bleeding again as he squats down beside her where she’s slumped  “Oh shit!!”

He hurries to the outer door and shouts “JASON! Jason, we got a serious problem here”

Jason frowns, he stops filling the bag he has with Trent’s requests “What the hell is it now?” he looks around, dropping the bag to the floor.   
  
Heading to the door of the bathroom. As he peers in he can see Sonny bent over her on the floor “Sonny, get her up!”

“Jason, I can’t. Somethin’s seriously wrong with her leg!”

“Sonny, I don’t care. I said get her up!”

Sonny frowns he knows there’s something  wrong and she can’t stand on her leg. What he doesn’t need is to go up against Jason again right now. He takes hold of her arm but she’s dead weight and difficult to lift  
  
“Jace” he looks at him, trying to get him to change his mind and do something “Jace this is not you! Don’t do this, man! She’s not good. Look Jace, if she dies then we could lose our leverage to get Ray back!”  
  
Jason grabs Sonny by the collar and lumps him back against the wall. “Did you forget what she did to Clay? Did you?”   
  
He’s not sure if he’s just angry in general with Sonny, or if it’s because Sonny’s right. He sighs  “Get her out of your head!! And just  get her up!”

Sonny shakes his head “No!” he pauses “No, I didn’t forget what she did. But, this is not the way to go about dealing with it. Look we need her, for Ray. She’s no good to us dead!”

  
They both look at her slumped on the floor and Jason eases up, letting go of his grip on Sonny. He runs his hand through his hair, massaging the tension in his forehead. He lets out a long sigh “Bravo 4, this is Bravo 1 do you copy?”

“Bravo 1, go ahead”

“Four,  we got a problem here. I need your advice, copy”

“Go ahead copy”

 

Jason explains all the symptoms to Trent. He thinks, based on what Jason described, the temperature, the vomiting and the feeling faint, that it’s an infection in her leg. “You need to find some IV antibiotics. get a line in and run it through as quickly as you can. Then you need to get her back here to me. Oh, and make sure you clean up the wound and disinfect it thoroughly”

 “Damn!” Jason rubs his head and looks at his watch. He really doesn’t want to give her any more attention than is necessary after what she did to Clay. He doesn’t give a damn about fixing her up, but unfortunately as Sonny reminds him. He needs to make sure she stays alive. Sonny’s right, they may need her, she might be their only hope of getting Ray back.

“Alright, let’s do this!” They carry her between them out of the bathroom. Placing her down on the floor in the medical bay.   
  
Sonny cuts the  ties on her wrists. Taking a deep breath when he looks at the cuts they have made. The plastic has cut deep and he gently runs his thumb along the line that they made. If he gets time he thinks, he’ll bandage them.

Jason’s watching him,  and Sonny can feel the tense stares. But for now, Jason doesn’t say a word. Sonny knows what he thinks of him for what he’s done. And he knows when this is all over, when they get back, that  Jason will make him pay for it. He also wonders if there will ever be anyway that he’ll be able to make it right. Sonny's fucked up and he knows it.

   
She opens her eyes as they put the line in her arm. Sonny cuts at the material of her pants and starts to clean up her leg  
  
  _“Awww!”_ She swallows hard, taking deep breathes with each wave of pain that the disinfect makes as he cleans it.

Sonny timidly smiles, as she looks at him. But then this feeling of anger come to the surface again. And his mind questions him _“Why the hell did she have to do that to Clay?”_   
  
He questions over and over about why he’s been so stupid? Why she did this.?   
  
 “I’ll get her some pain relief”

“No! No, you won’t!” Jason now glares at Sonny “This is the most we’re doing for her. We have to keep her alive, fine! But that’s all we’re doing. We keep her alive, but that doesn’t mean it has to be pain free!”

  
“Jace, c’mon man, this is not us! Doin’ this to someone, we don’t do this!”

“Sonny don’t push it! We keep her alive as long as we need to, but that’s it! Do you understand me? Whatever you’ve got going on in your head about her, you need to get rid of it, now!”

“I aint got nothing in my head. Not after what she did to Clay! All I’m sayin is, this, leaving someone in pain, it’s not us”

“I don’t care. We did it in Mexico, to get what we needed..” he sighs “Sonny, she’s a terrorist, just like any other. A bad person like any other. Sure, I’ll admit she comes much better packaged than most. But she’s still bad. You remember that! You remember what she did to Clay! And now what she’s gonna cost you!”

Sonny nods his head “Yeah! Yeah I know that!”

“Well you need a reminder anytime, about what she is, then you look at Clay!” He sighs “Now let’s get this done!”


	8. That wasn't the plan

**Chapter 7 & 8 have a tidy up ready for New chapters coming very soon!**

 

Sonny shoots his head out of the doorway making a quick scan of the corridor. He slowly eases out with his weapon ready   

“What we got there Sonny?”

“I don’t know” he looks both ways “ We’re outnumbered for sure”

He and Jason quietly slip into narrow hallway, they slide slowly, hugging along the wall. Keeping close as they can to each other, Sonny in front and Jason covering behind. They stop. Jason's concentration broken by Trent on the radio   
  
“Bravo 1 this is Bravo 3, Hows it coming with those meds. I really need them ASAP Copy"  
  
Checking their position and the status of the corridor Jason quietly answers whispering into his radio “Bravo 3 this is 1 .. we got a problem.. We’re pinned down here. …..Bravo 3 we’re gonna need some help.”

“Copy that BRAVO 1, we're on our way”

  
Trent checks Clay's as comfortable as he can make him. They sit him hidden around the corner. He's awake, coherent and can just about manage his weapon. Much to Trent and Brock’s relief.

“Listen, we gotta go.” He hands Clay his Glock “Just in case. Hang tight and we’ll be back”

Clay nods the pain shoots through him when he moves so he just sits back, resting. His morphine clouded thoughts turning to getting out of here and whether he will heal enough to get back in action soon.

 

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

 

Sonny and Jason are under fire now, but Sonny manages to pop two more of the Russian tangos. Jason points his hand and nods, signalling   
  
“Let’s move forward!”   
  
Checking the corridor to the left “Clear”   
  
They proceed further, cautiously, into the corridors. Sonny indicates one right with his hand and Jason takes him out “Clear”

“Clear left”

“Clear”

They continue forward down the narrow passageway when suddenly, without warning, a shot comes out of nowhere. Jason takes a nick on the arm from the bullet and as he turns around he’s face to face with the shooter.   
  
He takes a deep breath as he stares at the barrel of the gun but before he can move or call out a shot whizzes past his head and the large Russian drops in front of him.

“Nice shootin’ “ Jason lets out a relieved sigh

Sonny nods but doesn’t say a word just takes a deep sigh of relief

“Alright, let’s keep moving!”

 

They turn around as they hear more shots from behind further down the corridor and as they manoeuvre themselves headed back towards the medical bay.   
  
Trent and Brock have killed two and taken four, of the younger Russian's, prisoner. They're holding them hands behind their heads, and on their knees. Their weapons surrendered and Brock’s busy securing their hands with zip ties.

Jason holds his weapon up checking them over.  
  
“Ne strelyay!... Ne strelyay! ... Don’t shoot!” the youngest, or so he appears, keeps repeating as he holds his hands up.

  
“Hey" Jason sighs relieved "Looks like the cavalry turned up  just in time.”

Sonny smiles seeing them. Then they check and clear the rest of the corridors “You think we got them all?”

“I think we’re clear, for now. How many you guess left on the bridge?”  
  
Trent shakes his head with no clear idea of the number they were originally dealing with he makes his best assessment. Rapidly adding up the casualties, including the ones they have captives    
  
“I'm would say, if they brought with them all the crew from the ship then that should leave about four more on the bridge, including Vladim”

Jason rubs his head as breathes a sigh of relief, the numbers are more in their favor but still more than he'd like to cope with, especially with Clay injured and Ray....well Ray god knows what type of condition by now  “Okay, that’s more like it.”

 

“Hey Jace, what you wanna do with these” Sonny frowns at the four younger Russians in front of him

“Tie them up in the medical room for now. Trent, you and Brock get back to Clay, ASAO” he hands him the bag of medical supplies

Trent nods “You want us to take her?”

“No! No, she stays with me.. We need her to get Ray”

 Trent nods “Yeah sure, I’ll check her before we head back”

 

 

They push the four young captives ahead of them. They’re all making muffled comments in Russian.

 

 Sonny just shoves them forward “Keep moving!” They're headed back towards the medical facilities. Sonny's patience is wearing thin now and he’s had enough of the low mumbling sounds coming from them. “Shut the hell up!” he shoves the back of the one nearest to him with the butt of his weapon.  
  


As he opens up the door and pushes them through he notices the empty space on the floor where they left Sassi. All that’s there now is the drip from the antibiotics Jason administered before they left her and he looks around panicked at her disappearance, checking where she might be, but he can’t see her.  
  
“Oh Shit! No! Where the hell has she gone?”

As Jason hears him swearing, he realises somethings wrong. "Oh Jesus!” he rubs his head and glares at Sonny “See! God dammit! I told ya she can’t be trusted” not that it’s his fault this time, but in frustration, he shoves Sonny in the back anyway.  
Sonny closes his eyes "Damn!!" he sighs

“Trent take these. Then get back to Clay” he turns around thinking again and changing his plan mid-sentence  “No wait! Tie them up here as we planned. You get back to Clay, just in case she heads there again”   
  
he looks at Sonny. He's just about managing to hold his temper “We head to the Bridge. We need to find her, before she gets there. If that's what her plan is.”

“She won’t have got very far, not the state she was in”

“You better be right!” Jason looks to the ceiling nothing is going right now “God dammit!! Fuck!” he rubs his head  “We have to split up, we'll cover more ground, we need to find her!”

 

Sonny stands staring at the drip she must have pulled out and he’s lost in his thoughts as he stares at it lying there.

“Sonny!?” Jason snaps his fingers to get Sonny’s attention. He turns to look “You good with this?”

“Yeah! .. Yeah I’m good!” his head is in turmoil, but he manages to pull himself together.

  
  
 o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

 

They start their search of the corridors looking for where she might have managed to get. Sonny turns into the stairwell to head up a level and that’s where he spots her slumped in the corner. As she sees him with his weapon trained at her she puts her hands up and sinks back exhausted against the wall.  
  
“I can’t, I can’t do this!”    
  
She's used more energy than she realised she would, just getting to this point, and she can’t get any further. Considering the condition, she's in she has to concede to Sonny recapturing her and she thumps her head back against the wall hard. Closing her eyes as she gives in.   
  
Her breathing is shallow and the sweat running off her forehead as Sonny checks her “BRAVO 1, this is Bravo 3 .. HVT secured”

“Bravo 3 .. Say again” the comms are crackling again

“Bravo 1 secured HVT. She’s alive!”

“Copy that Bravo 3. Meet back with the rest of BRAVO”

“Copy that Bravo 1”  
  
Sonny stands over her just watching and shaking his head “You shouldn’t have done that" he sighs "Why? Why’d you run? All you’re gonna do is piss Jason off more. We were trying to help you; I was trying to get him to help you. Sassi what the hell is this about?”

She shakes her head, tears welling in her eyes  “I can’t go back, not now! Sonny, it’ll be worse so much worse”

Sonny sighs. He squats himself down beside her “Why the hell did you get into this? And why the hell did you do that to Clay?" _Urggghh!_. He cries out frustrated . "If you just hadn’t had done that, then this would have all been alright” he shakes his head

“He was never gonna hand that case over, and....and I needed to slow you all down, stop you coming after me” she gulps looking at him in a pitiful way “and I couldn’t do it to you, so it had to be Clay" she lets out a deep breath as she continues shaking her head   
  
“I’m so sorry!” she puts her hand on his arm

“Don’t! Don't you dare.” he pulls his arm away “Don’t say anything, and don’t touch me. And _don’t_ look at me like that!” he sighs “This is not happening. I'm fallin' for your tricks anymore. Now, you need to get up!”

“I can’t go back. Please Sonny do something" she swallows hard as she looks at him "I know you felt something...for me. I felt it too. I know you wanna help me so please, don't let him send me back”

 

He rubs his head; she's confusing his emotions “GET UP!”

She shakes he head, and  he rubs his head. He takes a moment just trying to think how this situation will play out “I said GET UP!" he watches her as she struggles to move "Okay look…" he paces back and forward in front of her "Maybe you help us get Ray back. Help us fix this. Then, I’ll talk to Jason, I mean, not that he’s listening to me right now!” he sighs. He knows he’s messed up “I’ll be lucky to have a job sweeping floors in the Navy, let alone stay in Bravo after this”

She gulps “I’m sorry! I really am, for all of it”

"No! I was the stupid one," He sighs a deep regretful sigh while he keeps shaking his head “I should've known better. Hell, I  knew better! Clay even warned me. Gave me a chance to put an end to it, but I didn't listen. Didn't put a stop to it!”  
  
He continues to rub his head, frustrated by his own actions. “That damn kid’s too smart for his own good, but I swear to god if you’ve cost him his place in this team I’ll take you back to Russia myself!”

  
She looks up at him pleading, crying so much as she holds her leg with both hands. She’s in so much pain now. Her face and hair covered in blood and sweat as she closes her eyes exhausted and unable to move.

“You need to get up. We need to get out of here”

She shakes her head, putting her head in her hands "I can’t! I can't move"  
 

Sonny squats down in front of her. He studies her face looking at how tired and exhausted she looks now. He still can’t stop thinking about when he first saw her, how attractive she was to him. Too attractive. Attractive enough for him to put all is judgement aside. let his emotions get the better of him. Rule him. He can't forget how much he wanted her, how she tempted him and how wrong he was to do what he did when he knew better.  
  
He knew no good would come from it and he’s angry. The feeling of stupidity is overwhelming, but _still_ despite everything, there is something, a feeling, a vibe something something about her that he can’t understand. Something that makes him feel for her, and feel sorry for the situation she’s in. “Geez!”   
  
He sighs rubbing his head again “Why the hell did you have to do that to Clay!” he repeats as he sits back till rubbing his hand through his hair “Why didn’t you, I don’t know talk to me?  Maybe I could have done something. I thought we… we had an understanding’. It didn’t need to be like this!" he rubs his hand through his hair "Damn! What a fuckin' mess!”

 

She puts her hand on his arm. Resting it there gently and for some reason he doesn’t take it off. Instead he  just sits there looking at it. “I couldn’t” she sighs “my  fath… Vladim, had a plan."   
  
She sighs as she watches him as he just sits staring at her hand on his arm “He said the CIA were never gonna let me go, that I’d end up in some hell hole with them using me for information. He said he had plan, so we could get away from all of that. I just had to trust him. All I wanted was some peace just a life away from all that, away from this!"

  
  
“Except, that wasn’t his plan, to get you away from all that. He's going to sell you, what's in your head. It's worth money to a lot of bad people. What you can make, is worth money to terrorists!”  
  
  
"So....you wanna tell me.." They both look up suddenly startled at Jason’s voice “..what the hell’s going on here? Cos, it looks very cosy to me”

 

Sonny stands up “Nothing!” He panics. He knows, him sat on the floor, her hand on his arm is not going to look good. There is no good way to explain the situation. “just. ..”   
  
Sonny shakes his head, being honest, the truth is he doesn’t know himself what’s going on. Why he’s even giving her a moment of his time. Why after what she did to Clay does he not want to kill her with his own hands.  “Jason, there’s nothing going on. She um...” he lets go of a huge sigh he knows nothing will sound right “Oh shit! I don’t freakin’ know!”   
  
Sonny only knows that he  can’t explain himself. He knows how much worse this all looks than it is.

“What?” she frowns her eyes piercing through Jason wondering what he’s now going to say. She wipes her forehead. She’s still feeling hot, dizzy and nauseous

“Well I’ve just had a long conversation. It seems you’re right Vladim had a plan” he shakes his head at her. “ and that’s why Vinchenkov wanted out. Because, he didn’t’ want to go along with it. Then your _father_ found out he was doing a deal with the US security services to get you both out, and he had him killed. to protect his investment. Didn’t he?”

“No!" she shakes her head "No, he said this was a one off, so we could disappear.” She looks at him still  shaking her head. What Jason's telling her she doesn’t know anything about “He said we had to do it, this way so the government would think we were gone, killed or taken by the US. I didn't know he was gonna kill Vinchenkov, I swear!”

“Yeah except, he didn’t’ factor in us coming and taking you, did he?” he smiles “First mistake. His second is taking Ray! You know the only reason he cares about getting you back, is because after this little test demonstration. My guess would be that the price for your services  was gonna go up, and I'll bet you’re right there in the middle of this little scheme. Otherwise you wouldn’t have done what you did to Clay”  

She shakes her head “No!” she looks round at Sonny “No!” she looks to him to believe her, but he looks away. She gulps “This is never that ... What he said, he told me we were gonna have a life. That I just needed to do whatever it took to avoid the US authorities, the CIA, picking me up”

“Yeah right! Well, I don’t believe a word of it. NOW GET UP! I’ve heard enough. I just want Ray back, and somehow, you’re the key to getting him back”

“No!. You’ve gotta believe me!”

“Just get up!”

“Sonny please!”   
  
She turns, trying to grab his arm as he won’t look at her now and Jason finally loses it with her and drags her up “I said....Get the hell up!”

Sonny closes his eyes as he watches. Part of him wants to help her but he doesn’t know what to believe now and all he can do is trust Jason.. he’s his team leader and what he says goes.

She struggles to stand on her leg, but Jason just shoves her forward “MOVE!”

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

 

They get back to the mess hall where Trent’s been treating Clay. He’s awake and seems to be much brighter now that Trent’s got him stabilised and for the time being, relatively pain free. Everything's awkward and as they arrive back, Jason, who’s had to prop  his arm under her to keep her upright all the way back, now drops her in a crumpled heap to the floor.  
  
Sonny’s just about to help her up, but Jason pushes him “You!, you stay away!!  I don’t wanna see you anywhere near her, you understand?!” he stares at him full of anger. Sonny nods reluctantly “You wanna do something useful, then go help take care of Clay”

 

Clay looks at Sonny as he stands near where he’s laid. He’s pale and Trent still has some drips hooked up and the bandage on his side still shows a small pool of bright red  blood in the middle, of the clean white dressing but, his eyes are open and he’s talking all a good sign.  
  
  
Then he awkwardly asks “Sonny?.. Sonny, what did you do?”  
  
Sonny drops his head he can’t look at Clay “Hell I don’t know, I don’t know why I did but, .. but I should have listened. You told me no good would come of it, and....” he sighs

 

With no proper explanation Clay frowns as he looks to Trent for answers to his question “What the hell’s going on?”

Trent shakes his head knowing now is not the time to go into the awkward details “Don’t worry just relax  and rest. We’ll explain later! You feeling less pain now?”

“Yeah it’s better than it was!” Sonny and Clay just stare at each other, but Sonny can’t hold his gaze for long, the guilt of what he did making him feel embarrassed.

 

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Vladim is pacing on the bridge “Oleg! Take Vincent, go see where the others are. Somethin _k_ is wrong. They're taking too long. They should be back by now”

Vladim can feel it. No one’s returned since he sent them. He looks at his watch then looks at the large bridge windows “And where the hell is that carrier? We should be able to see it by now.. Petr, what do you see?”

“Radar shows no thin _k_ It seems to have stopped moving”

“Stopped? What do you mean stopped? over!” he pushes Petr out of the seat so that he can look at the computerised screen “Let me look…What’s this?... Why has it stopped? " he sigh "What the hell is going on?.... this is not right, somethin _k_ has happen”

“I have no idea but looks like we have another problem!”

“What?”

“Radar is showing a sub has surfaced not far off the carrier vicinity”

 

He turns and leans over looking at the radar “Where the hell has that come from? Is it Russian?”

“I don’t know”

“Trace it! Looks like may need to alter the test plan and step up our exfil. Somethink _s_ not right!” He looks at Ray “Looks like I may need you after all. And there was me thinking, our time together was over. But now I may need you to get Dr Renkov back!"

 


	9. We don't do things likethis.

Jason sighs as all of the other pairs of eyes in the room stare silently at him.   
  
He's leaned against the wall, hands resting on his knees, head bowed, deep in thought. Everything is silent except for being interspersed with low groans and moans that their recaptured scientist is making, due to the pain in with her leg.  
  
Trent's the only one moving around. Shuffling equipment and medical supplies in his kit. His eyes fixed checking the IV of antibiotics he's running through her vein, trying desperately to keep on top of the infection that's taken hold in the wound on her leg.

Clay's sitting upright on the floor, leaned against one of the steel kitchen cabinets. He has his eyes closed resting but every so often he flicks them open letting everyone know he's awake and okay.

Brock's making the most of the quiet lull, sat at the table. His head in his arms leaned forward resting his eyes. The precious, but deadly, silver case he's in charge of looking after is just in front of his head.

The quiet peacefulness is abruptly disturbed by a sudden loud clatter of plates falling.   
  
"Shit!" Sonny's head pops out from one of the fridges "Sorry " he says quickly picking up the platter of meats he just dropped on the floor "Just lookin for something to eat. Anyone else hungry?"

Jason doesn't answer just looks up glaring at him. Disturbed by the noise he stands up straight, stretches himself, lets out a long sigh and starts to pace back and forward across the room. As he turns on his heels, for a third time, he stops.   
  
Staring forward, he runs his hand through his hair he lets out another long sigh. Turning his head, he glares at Trent "For god sake! Shut her the hell up!" The sounds of her constant low moaning is starting to grate on his nerves, winding his frustrated anger up to a point where he wants to lash out at something.  
  
At the sound of his annoyed tone, Sonny looks up from his search in the fridge. He looks at Clay and then over at Trent.

"Jace..." Trent sighs "..the only way I can make her quiet is to give her some morphine for the pain ? But you said not..."

"Just do it!" Jason snaps back.

"Okay!" Trent frowns confused questioning the sudden change of heart. Up until now he's continually refused Trent's requests. Using it as some sort of punishment for the way he's feeling. "You sure?" he questions again, looking down at Sassi as she lays there. Her eyes wide with the pain, her forehead wrinkled from her cries, she flashes a glance first in Jason's direction and then at Sonny. He's watching them all from where he's stood by the refrigerator.

Their furtive looks to each other doesn't go unnoticed as Jason returns his hard stare at Sonny "I just want her to shut her up. So, just do whatever it takes. I need to think, and I can't do that with her constant whining"

Trent sighs and preps the morphine syringe. Sassi takes a deep breath, apprehensive but somewhat relived as he jabs it in the top of her leg. Trent's silent look, willing her to be quiet, for all their sakes. She gets the implied message and closes her eyes hoping the next ten or fifteen minutes passes quickly, as the pain relief starts to take effect.   
  
She lays back trying to relax, willing herself not to make a noise not wanting to antagonize Jason further. She can see, by the constant pacing he's doing, that he's on the edge of losing it with someone and she fears it will probably be her.

Jason resumes his pacing routine, scratching his head and running his hands through his hair. " _How the fuck do we get Ray back?_ " It's a rhetorical question and so no one dares to interrupt with an answer. That and the fact that no one has any ideas.   
  
He puts both his palms to his temples rubbing them in circles against the side of his head. Trying to think the problem through.   
  
"What's the problem?" Clay frowns as they both exchanges looks "Jason, talk to us."

Sonny stands still and Trent sits back on the floor wiping his head "Yeah Jace, talk to us man"

"Okay!" he sighs "Sit rep. That bridge is like a fortress, the way it's designed to be! The only way you get in there is with the element of surprise, like they did, and we already lost that. He's gonna know were comin. Result, Ray's dead." he sighs again rubbing his chin   
"We think from the quick reccy we did downstairs, that they sealed that door to the helo bay. There'd be no way to breach it without attracting attention. Result, Ray's dead. We're two men light with no Ray, and Clay... well obviously incapacitated. And to make things worse, it now looks like we gonna have carry her out between us, we if we gonna move at any speed."   
He stops pacing, staring out of the window thinking "Only way I can see is if we can draw him, Vladim, out from the safety of the bridge. We get him to bring Ray to us. But how? How the hell do we do that?"

He slumps down against the wall his head in his hands. It's the first time, that he can remember, he doesn't have a plan when he needs one. He's so tired he can't think straight, and he doesn't have his number two to help him out. They're low on ammo, low on men and he's facing an experienced enemy, one equal to them in thinking and execution. And he has one of his men as hostage. _Fuck!_

Clay looks up at Sonny, he has no idea what's gone on between him and Jason, but he can tell it's something serious by Sonny's unwillingness to speak. There's a tension and it's not just because of what's happening to Ray.   
  
He frowns then smiles as he tries to lighten the atmosphere "So, anything good in there to eat, Sonny?"

"Um... um yeah" Sonny answers glad to break from the frosty tensions between he and Jason "We gotta a good selection" he looks back at the yellow light filled space of the fridge " um ...chicken, eggs... ham. What you fancy?"

"I don't know, something easy, just need to take the edge off " he puts his hand to his stomach as it growls again, it's been several hours since they all ate something.

Jason looks up taking a deep breath. He stares at them both " Chicken and eggs!"

Trent looks up with a frown. Brock lifts his head from the table, turning around to silently question the others _What the hell ?_

Trent face frowns a much deeper look "Sorry Jace, you say somethin ?"

"Chicken and eggs. Which came first ?"

Everyone exchanges more worried and more confused glances. They're all wondering _What the fuck is he going on about?_

Jason looks up he can see the blank look on their faces as he looks at them all "If you were hungry, which would you keep? Would you keep the chicken and live on eggs or eat the whole chicken just because you were so hungry, and it was an instant fix?"

No one still has a clue as to what these jumbled ramblings mean. Now they all just wonder if the stress has tipped Jason over the edge and he's finally lost his mind. They still remain silent as he gets up from where he's sitting and once again starts to pace around. He sighs out loud stopping just outside the cold storeroom, the one where Sonny was trapped earlier and he opens the door, peering into the dark cold space inside.   
  
He swings around and looks at Trent as he's still doing his routine checks on Sassi. She's been much quieter now. Her eyes shut in a blissful morphine induced drunken-ness. Trent covers her bare legs over with a jacket that's laid on the floor beside him. He'd removed her pants earlier so he could treat and bandage the infected wound on her thigh and now he can feel her exposed skin is rapidly cooling down. The jacket will help until the can get her back into her blood-soaked pants.   
  
He looks around to see Jason staring at him "What?" he frowns wondering what he might have done no.

"How long you think can someone survive in one of these?" he taps on the metal fridge door

"In there?" He's confused and he looks around at the others. "I don't know why?"  
  
Sonny's staring at him now taking deep anxious breaths as he recalls having been already locked in there earlier. "Jace, what's going on?"

"You shut the hell up. I'm not talking to you. So, c'mon Trent, best guess, how long?"

Trent shrugs "I mean, it would all depend. Size, body weight, clothing all sorts of factors. I mean .. . I would only be guessing"

"Then guess! I wanna know how long before you're in serious trouble inside there?"

"I don't know um.. as I say lot of factors. Thirty, forty minutes. An hour maybe, max. I mean if you kept moving around, were well dressed. Hypothermia gonna hit you pretty quick if you not. Plus, asphyxiation, right, plus I mean the air factor, I mean, carbon dioxide could be a bigger problem. That cooler is not very big, wouldn't take long to fill with C O two" he bites his lip, confused by Jason's questions wondering why he needs to know. Sonny's staring at him wondering exactly the same thing as Trent.

Jason sighs. Everyone can see he has the seeds of a plan ticking over in his head "What about Clay, is he ready to go? I mean we able to move him yet?"

"Um...yeah, yeah, I guess. I mean he's gonna need some help and probably can't move very fast. But yeah he should be good to go"

"Yeah I'm good. "Clay uses the units for leverage and hauls himself up to a standing position

"Alright! Alright then...." Jason sighs his brains still ticking over "...get her up!"

Sonny closes the fridge door and looks over staring confused "What's going on Jace? We getting out of here?"

"Yeah .. but first we're gonna give Vladim a choice to make. Get him to come to us. Let's ask him the question, which does he want, the chicken..." he looks over at Sassi laid on the floor "... or the egg?" he points to the silver, bomb, case laid on the table in front of Brock.

"Sorry I don't understand. How you gonna make him come to us?"

"Well which of these two things, does he want more? The bomb he's already promised someone for money, or the scientist, his daughter, that created whatever horror's inside here. Which is of more value to him?" Still no one really understands his ramblings of a plan, but Jason continues "Brock, see if Ray's still got his cell. Call it"

"Um... um yeah, yeah okay"

"Keep callin' it 'til someone answers"

"But Jace, if Rays not in a good way, or I mean if they've tied him up then he..."

"Just keep callin it, like I told ya!" he snaps, now turning his attention to Sonny "You, you get Clay up and ready to go."   
  
He takes a breath. Trent's already anticipating the fact they're gonna be making a move and he busy' s himself removing the IV line, covering the puncture wound on her arm with tape and redressing her leg. Then packing up the remnants of his medical kit

"Trent, get her up!"

"Jace ...we're gonna have to give her ten minutes. That morphine's gonna be kicking in about now. She's not gonna be in any fit state to walk anywhere. Her legs won't be able to hold her."  
  
"I don't care!" he snaps, turning around glaring at him for questioning his authority " Now either you get her up, or I do!"

"Okay, okay" he sighs leaning down and taking her under the arms "Sassi, you gonna have to get up." He struggles to pull her up into a standing position. Her head’s leaning slumped forward on his shoulder, as he balances her trying to get her back into her pants. He can barely hold her up, her legs shaking like jelly not able to support the weight of her body.

"Leave them!" Jason's watching as Trent struggles with her clothing. "There's no time for getting her dressed, don't worry she won't need them, she's not going far!"

Everyone exchanges glances, blank looks of confusion on all of their faces until Jason opens the door to the cold store and stares at Trent.

"Oh no!? Jace, you can't be serious?" Trent frowns "You're not gonna put her in there?" He sighs shaking his head "Why? Why would you do that?"

Brock looks up and around at everyone " I got something! Ray's phone.. "

 

**o-o-o-o-o-o-o**

 

Vladim rubs his head as he looks at Ray, his head hanging sideways with his eyes closed. Vladim can see the rise and fall of his chest so he knows he's alive, if only just.  
  
There's been an incessant vibrating tone of a cell phone ringing for ten minutes now. The constant noise is annoying but the continual ring intrigues Vladim's curiosity now. " What the hell iz that noize?" he frowns looking around at Oleg.

Oleg listens he's rubbing his sore fist, whilst he has no problem with hitting Ray, the constant beating has taken its toll on his hand. His knuckles are now sorely bruised. "I think it's the American's cell phone. You want me to find it?"

Vladim nods, frowning as he studies Ray's life lacking body. Slumped in a stupor on the chair in front of him.

Oleg grumbles in Russian to himself as he tries to move the weight of Ray's semi-conscious body while searching his pockets and vest for the phone. Finally, he locates it in one of his side pockets and pulls it out, handing it to Vladim.  
  
Vladim frowns studying the screen, then he kicks at Ray's leg "Hey, wake up! Who iz ? Brock ?" he looks at Ray, but Ray still doesn't answer. Vladim's not sure if it's because he can't, or because he won't, and he slaps Ray hard across the cheek "Wake up my friend. I want to know, who iz BROCK?"

Ray merely glances up still determined not to answer. Vladim looks at Oleg then despite the pain in his hand he lands another grinding blow against Ray's cheek _  
  
Urggghh!_ Ray groan as his neck jars backwards. He's barely able to support the weight of his head let alone the force of a blow against it. More blood spills from his cut and bruised mouth as this time his lip splits. _Mmmm!_ He moans in pain, wondering just how much more of this he can take.

Vladim ignores all of it. Taking a deep breath as he watches the screen light up as the phone begins to buzz again. He answers "Dah!..."

 

**o-o-o-o-o-o**

 

Brock hands the phone over to Jason, but he pushes it back toward him without saying a word. Jason smiles. He sends no greeting or message just a demanding tone "Put it on video call. I want him to see this!"

Brock does exactly what he's asked without questioning holding the phone camera in Jason's direction, still unsure exactly what it is that he wants him to film.  
  
"Captain Rostov! I hope you can hear me clearly?"   
  
Vladim smiles "What can I do for you master chief....Hayes?"

"You know 'Ive been thinking about you a lot lately and I was racking my brain, wondering what might mean most to a man like you. I mean, do you value money or maybe, family most in the world. What motivates someone like you to do what you do?"

"Oh..." Vladim laughs out loud, covering the apprehension he has to Jason's motives for this call he knows it won't be just to ask him hypothetical questions "That is an age-old question Mr Hayes. What motivates any man to do what he does? What motivates special operators such as you and your team to put their lives and loves of the families on the line for someone else. The question can go on and on."

"Yeah but I'm not asking about me. I wanna know what motivates you. I mean a man who was willing to kill so many innocent lives for the smell of money, or even sell his daughter to the highest bidder. What motives a man to do something like that? Is it purely money and greed? Because I think there has to be more to it than that"  
  
Vladim is curious now at Jason's line of questioning but he plays along with the game "Oh, my answer is much more simples. I value my freedom. So, whatever will bring me the most freedom is the thing I will choose"

Jason smiles "Freedom. Well I can't tell you which will bring you that, so then I will have to leave it to you to decide" he laughs "Trent, bring her over here!"

Sassi blinks her eyes as Trent starts to hoist her forward towards Jason. He can feel even in her drug induced blur that she's hesitant to move. To be honest Trent is reluctant in forcing her forward, he's really not sure what Jason has in mind but the hints he's made do not sit at all well with Trent's conscience  
  
"Jace... " he starts to protest, but before he can say anymore Jason is grabbing at her pulling her over towards the cooler where he's standing

Sonny can feel the breath in his body stop. He's also trying to work out Jason's plan. "Jace what the hell's going on? What are you doin?"

"You, you, shut your mouth! I don't wanna hear a word from you!" that's it. Jason cuts him off. Ignoring his words as he holds the cooler door wide open. He offers no explanation as he beckons Trent forward "Get her in there!"

Trent frowns "In there? Jason what the hell! You want me to put her in there, like this? Are you serious?"   
Trent doesn't very often question Jason; in fact, he can't ever remember doing it. But this now, it makes no sense and something he's not morally comfortable with. He feels he needs at least to question his motives "Jace, what's going on?"   
  
He's confused after getting him to spend the past hour battling to save her from infection, Jason's now asking him to do something that could potentially kill her.

"Jason !" Sonny shouts to get his attention as it dawns on him what Jason wants to happen. He doesn't know why, or understand any reasons for doing this to her "What the hell are you doing?"

"Yeah Jace, c'mon man" Clay looks over, worried "What's the plan here?"

Jason looks at Brock as he lowers the phone "Keep filming. You wanna know the plan, fine. I'm giving Vladim a choice. See, I want Ray back, so I'm gonna do anything to get him back. But how badly does he want her back? Enough to come find her or .. maybe he wants this more?"  
  
He holds up the small silver case. "Maybe the people who've paid for this, are more frightening than him losing his daughter. Which is it Vladim, which will give you more freedom? Time to choose and come get it!"

Vladim is studying the screen on the phone, it's difficult for him to work out what's actually going on with the quick movements and juddering film "Master Chief Hayes ... is there a reason I am supposed to be viewing this home movie of yours?"

"Oh, you know Captain, I would reckon she's got about forty minutes tops, in her condition ..."" Jason looks her up and down "...dressed the way she is. I mean it's not like she can move around well, keep herself warm, is it" He smiles looking back at the worried look on Trent's face

"Jace, this isn't a game. She could die in there. Think about what you're doing here man!"  
  
"Trent just do as I told you, and get her in there, that's an order. It's time to go!"

"Oh man..."Trent sighs "Are you really sure about this? I mean, when you asked me how long I thought you meant one of us, not an under dressed and injured female. This isn't right, I mean she'll be lucky to make the thirty minutes."  
  
"You hear that Vladim?" Jason laughs, as he turns to face the phone camera, Brock's still holding "My medic says she' ll be lucky to make thirty minutes. So, that means you better act fast if you wanna get her back alive. Still perhaps you would rather come and find me, cos I have this"   
  
He again, holds up the silver case to the phone camera "You want this Vladim? Then you better bring Ray, alive! I don't care either way"

"Mr Hayes... " Vladim can now see more clearly the pictures of Sassi dressed only her white tee shirt and her black short panties. "What are you doing with my daughter?" he's met with an infuriating silence " Mr Hayes....answer me!"

Sassi's coming around enough from her morphine induced head fog to now realise something is seriously wrong. She's trying to understand what's happening to her. She rubs her head looking around, she can see shelves of frozen food surrounding her. The hairs on her arms prickle as they stand up against the coldness she can feel on her skin.

"What's going on?" she frowns as Trent sits her on a chair in the middle of the cold store. The below zero air fills her lungs, the freezing temperature sobering her up. She looks around and things start to click into place   
  
"Oh my god!! What the hell are you doing?" she suddenly panics "NO! No wait!!" the breath comes faster as she grabs at Trent's arm "NO!! No, you can't do this, please! Please, what the hell are you doing?"

Jason stands at the doorway watching her, if he has any ounce of sympathy he hides it well. He has only one focus right now and that's to get Ray back.   
He can't and he won't, let any emotional feelings detract from that plan. No matter how cruel he knows this is, keeping his men safe, and alive, getting the crew on this ship freed they are his only priorities now.   
  
What he's doing, this is not his fault. _This is Vladim’ s fault. Storming this ship, killing the captain then taking and hurting Ray. He's getting what he deserves now!_  
  
And that's how Jason justifies what he's doing. He glares at Sassi as she sits there already shivering "Just shut the hell up and stay there!"   
  
She can see him his eyes fixed on her, chewing his gum. He's putting on this front, but she can see, really deep in the back of his soul he knows this is wrong. If only she can reach out to him, appeal to his weakness, he might let her go.   
  
But she can't, it's too late. Jason turns his back and walks away "Keep filming. Let him see what he's done!"

"Jace, c'mon man" Trent begs, the guilt weighs much more heavily on him.   
  
In Mexico it was Ray who had to live with the consequence of Jason's decision. Have his faith tested by Jason's orders, and Trent now wonders if it's him that will be living with this, breaking his code of ethics. This is wrong and as a medic Trent can't square it away quite as easily as Jason seems to be.  
  
Yes he knows what she's capable of, what she did to Clay but right now. "This is wrong Jason" he gives a huge sigh, having to do something to rectify the situation, he takes his jacket off and wraps it around her shoulders, pulling it around like a blanket. His sized compared to her means it covers her, giving her at least some minimal protection from the bitter cold in there.   
  
Trent closes his eyes, the decision as he leaves weighing heavily on him "I just hope to god you know what you're doing Jason! Because if this goes wrong, we have to live with what we did!"  
  
"Wait!!" she struggles up off they chair but before she can get out, before she can say anymore Jason pushes the door closed on her "PLEASE..." She begs "please, you can't let him do this. I mean this isn't right?"   
  
Trent closes his eyes to her sobs "We'll come back" he closes his eyes to her cries, he says it, but he wonders if they actually will, will they get back there in time. He looks at his watch and as he looks up he can see Sonny doing the same.

"Please, I'm begging you! Come back!! Don't leave me in here"  
  
They can hear her cry over and over again. "Jace..." Sonny looks at Trent for some support. He takes a breath remembering when he was locked in there. The panic, the darkness the cold. "Jace, you can't really be going to leave her in there? C'mon man. We don't do things like this"

His words fall on deaf ears. He anxiously looks at the freezer door as they all exchange glances, looking around nervously. They can all hear the sounds of her loud thumping on the door trying to escape . They all know this doesn't' feel right. That this is morally wrong.   
  
"Wrong Sonny! I'll do whatever I have to, to protect my team! You'd be better to concentrate on getting Ray back, not some itch in your pants!"

"Low blow there Jason!" Sonny sighs "You know as well as I do, that this is wrong. There's gotta be another way? "

"No, no there isn't. We're out of time. Ray's out of time!" Jason frowns "What the hell's wrong with you Sonny? It's like she .. she put some spell on you. You're not even thinking straight."

"I'm not thinking straight!? What the fuck! When you just shut someone in a freezer. It's like you signed her death warrant! What if he doesn't come for her?"

Jason's temper is rising inside as Sonny keeps talking. Maybe, because inside, part of him knows he's right. Because if this doesn't go to plan, then she probably won't survive. But as they listen to her continued, muffled screams from inside. Jason knows this is the only thing that gives them one shot to get Ray back alive.  
  
Brock's anxiously still holding the phone. He can now see Vladim on the other end. “Put Master Chief Hayes on NOW!!" he furiously demands

Brock looks and hands the cell to Jason. "Got your attention now didn't we!"   
  
"What do you want Mr Hayes?"   
  
Jason calmly smiles into the camera "I want you off this ship and Ray back!"

"You won't get your man back by doing this. What if waz to kill him right now?"

"You kill him now, you got nothin'. You need to decide, which do you want more Vladim, her or this ? Choice is yours!"  
  
He holds up the silver case to the camera, as he checks the time on his watch "I'd say you got thirty, maybe forty minutes tops, to get to her. I mean she's not in good shape, so don't leave it too long. Clocks ticking Vladim! BRAVO one out!"   
  
With that he cuts the phone conversation off and despite her continued protesting screams from inside, Jason clicks the lock on the door shut.   
  
He takes a deep breath, swallowing back any doubts and praying in his head that this works out "Let's get out of here. NOW! " He looks around at all the questioning stares "Did you hear me? I said let's move, that's an order! "

**o-o-o-o-o-o-o**

 


	10. Don't do this.

"Hold!"

Jason signals for them to stop at the sounds of a noise in the corridor. They stand silent. It's then that they can still hear the low thuds of Sassi pounding her hands on the cooler door, the noise vibrating through the quiet still of the ship.

Sonny takes a breath, subtly checking the time on his watch.   
  
Trent checks on Clay. Their move, being up and walking around is now causing him pain. It makes it harder, and slower for them to progress, but Trent's more concerned by the blood he can see coming through the clean dressing he put on before they left.   
  
He looks up at Jason showing the anxiety in his face "I'm not happy with that, I'm gonna need more supplies, and soon"

 _Shit!_ Jason sighs, rubbing his head "Alright. But let's just keep movin’ for now"

Sonny checks his watch again and sighs. This time it doesn't go unnoticed and Jason stares at him "You got a problem, Sonny?"

"Me?" Sonny hesitates, shaking his head "No, no nothin’ wrong with me." he bites his lip as they stare at each other eye to eye "No actually that's a lie. I wanna know what the hell was that about in there, with her. What the hell do you think you're doin' ? What you're just gonna leave her in there to...to die?"

There are few moments of exchanging silent glances from the rest of the team who would also like an answer to Sonny's question. What Jason's done doesn't sit particularly well with any of them. They followed his order, doesn't mean that they like it.

They all shift awkwardly as they watch Jason grab Sonny forcibly by his collar and slam him back against the corridor wall "We need to get Ray back, _that's_ our priority. And to do that, we need him, Vladim, to leave that bridge. Hopefully having to make this choice, life or death, it will make him do that! I need him out of options, like we are!"

"Yeah but what if he chooses that?" he points to the metal case Brock's carrying "Then what, happens to her? Jason, she's gonna die in there."

"As I said, priority is to get Ray back. Nothin' and _no one_ else." He lets go of his shirt, shoving him forwards "Now move!"

 

**o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o**

 

Sassi takes a deep breath.The cold air hitting the back of her lungs as she sucks in her tears. They feel hot, stinging her eyes, as she tries to focus in the cold darkness. She struggles to see, using the only tiny source of light, a small digital temperature gauge, it's luminous green glow which seems to brighten as her pupils dilate.

Again, she bangs her clenched fist, hard, against the door. The cold metal panel feeling like it's burning her hand and it's not long before she has to relent.   
  
She pulls Trent's jacket tightly around herself as her skin starts to prickle with the cold. A constant shiver trickles over her body. "PLEASE.... Let me out!!! " she cries over and over "Please, don't leave me in here. Please!!!..HELP!!! Sonny, please get me out!!"  
  
She has no idea what's going on, what Jason's plan for her is and not realising they've gone she  screams out over and over, taking deep breathes between each cry.   
  
She stops and listens to the silence but there's nothing. Putting her ear close to the door she can' t hear any sounds coming from the other side. "PLEASE, LET ME OUT!!!!"   
  
Her leg is hurting, a lot more now as the remnants of the morphine injection that Trent gave her, wears off and it's no longer clouding her feeling the cold. She sits on the chair lifting her feet from the floor, bending her legs, pulling them to her chest and covering them over with the, thankfully,  large jacket.  Then she closes her eyes, her body shaking uncontrollably from the freezing temperature as she sobs into her knees. _  
  
Arrrrghhhh!_ She cries "Please, please come back!"

 

**o-o-o-o-o-o-o**

 

 _Shit!_ Sonny runs his hand around the door seal as they stand in the corridor of the helo deck. He and Jason inspecting it, they can see the weld around the lock. "What the hell have they done?"

"Jason, there's no way we're getting in there without equipment" Sonny continues to check around the edges "They're gonna have to cut it open from the other side"

"Alright , then we need to get word to them. They gonna have cutting equipment in there, right?"

"Yeah, yeah they should have what they need. I mean it's a maintenance deck"   
  
They suddenly they stop talking and look up, listening to the clanking noises they can hear on the deck above them. Jason frowns "Sounds like someone's on the move up there!"

Sonny bangs hard on the hatch, trying to get attention from crew on the other side but Jason quietens him. "Shhh shh !" Jason puts his hand to his mouth for Sonny to stop.   
  
They can clearly make out sounds of footsteps and doors banging open, on the floor above them. Jason thinks for a moment as he get on the radio to base   
  
"HAVOC this is Bravo One, we need you to get word to the helo deck, let them know they they're gonna have to breach the door from the inside. Looks like it's been welded shut, we don't have access the equipment we need, or the time to get them out. Copy"  
  
"Copy that BRAVO one. Do you have a sitrep on BRAVO two yet?"

"No negative. We're .. working on a plan. I'll get back to you. One out"

Sonny stares hard at Jason "You have a plan?" he looks again at his watch "How's that working out?"

"Sonny, just shut the hell up!"

Trent frowns, taking a deep breath "So we're not gonna get to the facilities we need in there then. So, we need to go back to the secondary medic center. I need to patch him up." he looks at Clay and the blood still seeping through his dressing " And I'll need to restock supplies and pain relief for when we find Ray"

"Alright well go with what we have. Secondary medical was on the next floor down. Trent, take Brock and Clay work your way back. Get what you need, then get back to me. Sonny, you're with me. If Vladim' s on the move, then he's bound to have Ray with him. He won't risk leaving him behind. That means, they won't be moving so quick. Trent go! We'll meet you back there when we've checked out the bridge"

"Okay, yeah sure" Trent, puts his shoulder under Clay's arm, lifting him up and giving him support so they can move.

"What you want me to do with this, Jace?" Brock frowns picking up his precious cargo, looking at the silver case in his care.

Jason hesitates thinking for a moment. "Take it with you. We'll deal with that when we have to"

Sonny looks at Trent as he sees him checking his watch. They're both thinking the same thing, but neither of them dares say a word. Although Jason doesn't say it, he, like them, is also conscious of the time "Let's get geared up, and go, Ray still needs us!"

"Hey Trent" Sonny stops and whispers as they prepare to leave, "Be honest with me, what're her chances?"

Trent sighs, shrugging his shoulders he shakes his head "Not good Sonny! Look, just do your job and concentrate on finding Ray"

 

**o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o**

 

Jason holds his hand up, indicating for Sonny to halt. They're at the corridor which leads to the bridge. From their position they can see that the door has been left wide open. Jason takes a deep breath as they look at each other, fearing the worst. Jason points indicating for Sonny to go right of the corridor, and to cover him.   
  
They both slide slowly, holding a tight line along the wall, until they're close to the entrance. Then slowly and silently he nods, and Sonny swiftly moves across the corridor so that he's one side of the doorway, and Jason the other.   
Without a word Jason counts down from 3 with his fingers and on the final count he points, and they burst in the door. Weapons pointed, they check around, what appears to be, an empty room.

"CLEAR!!" Jason takes a deep breath as his head scans around and he lowers his weapon "They're gone!"  
  
They can see papers and stationery strewn all over the floor like someone has thrown them there. There's a chair which is knocked over, in the middle of the room, the seat covered in blood and small trails of blood are pooled on the floor around it. In one of them lays a cell phone and Sonny picks it up, wiping it on his pants "It's Ray's!"

"Where? Where the hell have they gone Sonny?" Jason frowns "Which did he choose?"  Jason's rubbing his head, he's trying process Vladim’ s thoughts, his thinking. _Shit! What does he want most?  
  
_ As Jason sees Sonny check his watch, again, he takes a deep breath. His heart beats faster as he suddenly gets hit with a pang of conscience. _What if I got it wrong? What if he doesn't go after her?_ He allows the small doubt to worry him. If she doesn't make it, would his decision, his plan, be the thing that contributed to her death? Did he in effect kill her?  
  
He closes his eyes, he needs to focus, wipe those kinds of thoughts from his head. He concentrates. He did what he did, because the most important priority is Ray and getting him back safely. This was the only way.  
  
He wipes any thoughts of Sassi, from his head as he looks Sonny in the face "He'll go after the case. He said, what gives _him_ the most freedom, she ties him down. Family means nothing to him. He gets that case, he gets power, money and with that ... his freedom!"

"Jace, you don't know that? I say we go back for her. Let her out, just in case."

"No! My gut says he wants whatever's in that case. We need to get back to the others "

"What? What the hell?" Sonny laughs "You're going on a gut feelin ? I say we go back to the canteen; he'll go after his daughter. She can make that thing again. He can make her make another one. He'll need her"

"Yeah but will she? He has no guarantee after all this that she would do it again. No, he's gonna go with what he knows, certainty. Whatever's already in that case, is a certain! Now let's get moving. We need to get back to the medical center"

Sonny closes his eyes, taking a deep breath. _Shit!_ He's not happy, but he does as he's told and follows behind Jason.

They're out in the corridor when Jason notices blood spots in a trail along the floor. He lifts his head, indicating to Sonny for them to move forward slowly. It's the opposite direction to where they were going, and they follow the blood. Now noticing how there's becoming more the further down the hallway they walk. The wall to the right of them has some larger blood smears. Then suddenly they halt. There's a large pool of blood at their feet on the floor in front of them.  
  
"Shit! What the hell?" Jason looks down the corridor "Ray's gotta be hurt badly..... Bravo 4, this is bravo 1, stay alert. We think he's headed in your direction. You need to be ready. We're gonna circle back to you."

"Jace look" Sonny points "The blood, it don't go nowhere"

"What?" Jason frowns as he looks at the same thing that Sonny's looking at. He can see what he means, the blood trail that they'd followed, ends here at this large pool. He looks either side at the closed doors down the corridor and he puts his hand up motioning for Sonny to quiet. They both hear it now. The low moaning sounds "That's Ray!"

They listen again and Sonny silently walks up and down the corridor listening at each and every doorway. Hearing the groaning sound louder outside one of the doors he indicates with his thumb, pointing it out.  
  
Jason moves beside him, and they ready their weapons. Chests filling with deep apprehensive breaths, neither knowing what they're going to encounter on the other side of the closed door. The moan comes again, and Sonny slowly and carefully turns the handle, before gently pushing the door. Every sound of them opening the door is heightened by the silence. They both hold their breath and Sonny puts the muzzle of his weapon against the wood and shoves it firmly, forcing it open.

"Shit!" Sonny frowns. There on the floor, laying in a rapidly expanding pool of blood "Ray!"

They can immediately see how badly beaten he is. A large cut on his arm which is bleeding, and what looks like a stab wound pooling blood onto the floor.   
  
Jason's down beside him, emptying the contents of the limited medical supplies he has. First he gives him some pain relief and then he stars to press down with clean padding to try and stem the blood flow from the wound on his hip "Shit.. Shit"   
  
The dressings are filling up with blood too quickly, as Ray lays unconscious across his lap "We need to get him back to Trent. We need to get him to that medical facility"

Sonny patrols the corridor checking it up and down. He listens as he hears the noise of doors slamming. _Vladim!_   
  
Sonny steps further into the hallway out of sight and Jason calls him "Sonny!"

"I'm gonna go after him Jace! He's gone donw there. Get Ray back to Trent!"

"Sonny wait! Leave him!"

"Jace, we can't let him get away!"  
  
Jason's trying to make fast decisions and he knows Sonny's right. They can't let Vladim get away concerned by what else he may have planned.  
  
"Alright go! You're right, I'll get Ray back to Trent" Jason lifts him up over his shoulder and sets off in the opposite direction to Sonny.

Jason's' moving as fast as he can, only slowed by carrying Ray's weight. He stops hearing the sound of his radio "BRAVO one, this HAVOC do you copy?"

"Copy HAVOC, go ahead. We' have a bit of a situation right now

"Yeah well there's ongoing situation you should be aware of. Bravo 1 be advised Intel suggests, the Russian sub, it's on the move and headed toward The Invincible, rapidly".

 _Shit!_ "HAVOC, do we know what it wants?"

"No. No, we're trying to establish contact."

"Shit!" Jason sighs trying to think. He takes a breath as he holds pressure on Ray's wound, checking his pulse while he rests a moment "That's it... that's how hes going to get off this ship. HAVOC, Vladim, he's gonna use the sub to exfil"

Jason closes his eyes, looking at Ray, he can see him fading in and out of consciousness . He gets him up again, over his shoulder, lifting him. "BRAVO 3 this is BRAVO 1, he's gonna use the sub to get off the ship. I think he's going after her!"

"Copy that Bravo one. I'll find him. He's going nowhere!"

Jason closes his eyes "Sonny, I'm counting on you. Don't fuck this up!"

 

**o-o-o-o-o-o-**

 

Sonny approaches the mess room he's run so fast that he can hear his own heart thudding against his rib cage. He takes a moment getting his breath. Then he makes a quick check through the glass paneled window of the door, into the canteen

"Where the hell are you?" he sighs wondering why he hasn't caught up with Vladim anywhere along the route back to here. _Where you hidin ? I know you're here somewhere._

He nervously checks the corridor again, readying his weapon taking a firmer, sturdier grip on it. He then quietly puts his hand on the handle and slowly pushes it open. First putting the muzzle of the weapon into the open gap, followed quickly by his head. He checks around what he can see of the room. Sliding inside, holding his weapon in place until he's satisfied its clear. Realisign it's clear, he relaxes.

It's empty and taking deep deliberate control breaths he checks around the corner into the preparation area, that too, thankfully, clear.

Standing there looking around his eyes diverting constantly back to the outer door, while he takes deep breaths trying to relax the nervous feeling in his stomach. The room is now totally quiet, and he quickly scans the discarded medical equipment from where Trent treated Clay, and Sassi. Her black pants lying on the floor where Trent took them off her.

Gathering his thoughts, he listens, while he stares apprehensively at the metal door to the cooler.

 _Shit!_ He swallows the lump in his throat, a hard knot of fear and anxiety. He can hear the pounding noises in his ears but it's not Sassi trying to escape now it's that of his own heart beating. He calls, quietly, at the door. "Sassi! Sassi, can you hear me? It's sonny, I'm gonna get you out. Close your eyes. "

There's still no answer and he looks at his watch. Forty minutes has passed since they left. _Shit!_ He sighs as he closes his eyes and nervously pushes the lock handle up. _Fuck!_ Slowly and apprehensively he opens the door.

There a _pssshhing_ sound as the escaping cold hits against his face. The light floods into the dark space as he undoes the lock and pull the door open wider. "Sassi!" he calls.   
  
A retching fear in his stomach as bile rises into his throat. He can see her body slumped forwards over her knees on the chair. " Oh god, no! " he closes his eyes for a moment, scared that he's got there too late.But as he enters and gets closer he can see her body violently shaking and her head slowly lifts her eyes blinking and watering against the brightness of the light outside the room.

"Oh, thank god!! Thank god!!" He breaths so fast now from relief he thinks he might pass out "C'mon, let's get you out of here"

He scoops her up in his arms and lifts her, cradled against him. She's shaking so much she can't even hold on to him. Her hands are scrunched into tight fists, her knuckles bright red and her hands white with cold. Her lips tinged a bluish color against the pasty pale of her face.

 _Shit!!_ He sits on the floor. Removing his own jacket, he wraps it tight around her. Rubbing at her arms and blowing his warm breath onto her hands. He holds her tight against him, trying desperately to warm her up. She's that cold he can feel it against him, her body continuing to shake violently. Juddering no matter how tight he holds her.

There's a quiet noise. It's the sound of her teeth chattering against each other as she tries to speak "Son.. _nnn yyy_ " Her lip's quivering so much and as the warmth starts to fill her muscles it makes her feel like she's burning.

He pulls his, and Trent's, jackets around her tighter. Looking for her pants he reaches to get them "We need to get you dressed and get you out of here. He's gonna come for you. Sassi, speak to me. You okay?"

"Umm hmmm!" she nods. It's all she can manage, and she starts to cry. The tears hot as they run down her cheek.

"Hey c'mon, you're gonna be okay. We're gonna get out of here."

Slowly as the warm blood starts to flow inside her again she manages to unfurl her body stretching her cramped legs as Sonny helps her back into her pants "Sonny..." she pitifully looks at him “Why? Why did he do that?"

Sonny bites his lip. He wants to say because Jason was angry, pissed off and he took it out on here, but he doesn't. "Look, I'm sorry. Jason, he .. he just wanted to get Ray back. He didn't mean it. That's not him. He wasn't thinking straight."

"Oh god! I thought.... I thought no one was coming. It was like .. like when they had me. When they first took me. Thank god you came back" she wraps her arms around his neck holding herself tight against him.

"I'm here, you're safe now. I've got ya" He wraps his arms around her holding her, stroking her hair. Trying to comfort her "I promise, nothing's gonna happen again. But you have to help me, though right, so I can protect you. You need to tell them what he was going to do. When they ... when they ask, his plans. You need to help them. It'll keep you safe if you tell them."

"Okay.... okay!" she nods "I'll tell them. You gotta know, I didn't want him to do it. I didn't know what he was planning, not until it was too late. I ... "

"Shh shhh! I know ... I know, I believe ya. But you need to tell them what they need to know. But right now, we need to get out of here. He's coming. He's planning on taking you off the ship."

"No! No, he said we were going to the US. He said he'd get me away from them. We'd never go back"

"Sassi, he lied. There's a Russian sub, coming. That's how he plans to get you off "

"No, Sonny no. I can't go back. Please." She holds her hand against his cheek, staring deep into his eyes "Please Sonny, you have to help me"

"C'mon that's not gonna happen. I'm not gonna let that happen. I promise." he sighs "I'll do what I can alright" he laughs. Smiling as he watches her "If I have a job myself after this!"

They sit together, their foreheads resting against the others. "You gonna be in trouble?" She frowns, watching the look on his face "Because of me?"

"It doesn't matter, not now. I'll deal with it. We just need to get out of here, that's first priority. Whatever happens, what's to come. It's my own damn fault, not yours"

She closes her eyes enjoying the warmth and the comfort of his arms. She's so tired and he wraps his arms around her back, holding her tight.   
  
He gently strokes his fingers on her cheek as she teasingly brushes her lips on his, her fingers teasing his beard. " Sonny..." she kisses him gently, wanting to say something but she's not sure what. He looks her in the eyes and sighs, then he can't help himself, and he puts his hand in her hair pulling her against him kissing her.

They stop and look up at the sound of clapping, turning around from where they're sat and look up at the doorway.

"Awww izn't that touching" Vladim smiles, staring at them "What iz going on?"  He frowns "Oh please.... don't tell me, the American soldier iz taking advantage of his position? Nyet!"

They stand, Sonny helping her up. They face him. Sonny's standing behind Sassi. He goes to grab his weapon that's lying on the floor, but before he can move, Vladim kicks it away and points his own gun at him "I don't think so! Now take out your side weapon. Place it on the floor.... Slowly. Do it now!"

"Papa, please.." Sassi begs. She turns around, watching as Sonny slowly remove his Glock from it's side holder and lays it on to the floor by her feet before raising his hands, crossed, behind his head,

"Please Papa. Please don't hurt him. I'm begging, for me. He was helping me, he came back, saved me."

"Saskia, you are so naive. He wasn't coming back for you. He came for me!" Vladim smiles "Now come over here. We need to leave."

"No! No, he came for me."

"Oh Saskia. Please, tell me you haven't fallen for this American?" he laughs "You! " he points at Sonny "You've taken advantage of my daughter? What did you do to her?"

"Nothin'." Sonny frowns "There's nothing, between us. Just... a misunderstandin' "

"No wait!  Sonny why are you saying that? You came back for me, tell him!"

"Saskia come here" He holds the gun higher, pointing it directly at Sonny "We need to go!"

"No! I'm not going anywhere. You said we were going to the states. We need to go with them. Hand ourselves in"

"Nyet! Nyet! We're going back. We have to. We have no choice"

"What do you mean?"

"He means..." Sonny stares at him ".. he's gonna take you back to Russia. He has no intention of going to the states. But you never did, did you?"

Vladim smiles at Sonny "Seems you interrupted my plans so; we have no choices now"

"So, what are you going to do?" she watches her father standing there, pointing the gun at them, at Sonny "You can't kill him. Not like this. He helped me. For god sake.....don't"

"Saved you?" Vladim laughs hysterically "What by them shutting you in a freezer to die? Saskia pick up the weapon and come here. We don't have time for discussing this now. We need to go"

"Papa.... please. Please, just let him go. You don't have to do this" She bends down and picks up the gun from the floor studying it in her hand.

"Sassi, move out of the way!"

"No! Let him go!" She stands, in front of Sonny

"I said MOVE!"

she looks around, looking at Sonny, taking deep breaths as she steps forward "I'm sorry, I never meant any of this."

"Sassi, wait! He's not gonna keep you safe. He's gonna hand you back to them, to the Russians. He's gonna put you on that sub and take you back"

"No!" she turns sharply looking at her father "No?! You promised. You said this was our way out."

"I promised you safety. And I will promise you; they will never know that you were planning to leave. They won't know about the CIA. We will make them think the Americans took you by force. That I got you back and we will both be exonerated; We will go back to our lives. It will be fine. I promise"

"No!!! I'm not going back. I don't want that life. You promised me we'd go to America"

"I'm sorry we have no choices. Now, come away from him" he aims his gun, directly at Sonny

She's so tired and she feels confused, unsure who to believe. Her hopes of escaping this nightmare are disintegrating front of her "I'll come, I will. Just don't do this. Don't hurt him. Let him go, and I'll come with you. I promise"

Vladim sighs out loud, smiling "You like this American? Strange. You hardly know him"

"He saved my life. When the helicopter crashed, he saved me from the water and now, now from there. So please I'm asking for me, just let him go and I'll come with you."

"Very well! We will leave him for his friends to find" Vladim smiles he indicates towards the freezer door

"Oh, you have to be kiddin?" Sonny takes a deep breath

"Your choice" Vladim grins

Sassi takes a deep breath "Sonny, just do it. Do as he says, it'll be alright. They'll come for you. Please!" She can't stop sobbing, wiping the tears with the back of her hand as she now also points the gun in her hand at Sonny.

"Sassi, don't do this. Don't go with him. He's... " Shit! Sonny shakes his head looking at the two weapons now pointed at him. Resigned to the fact of what's going to happen.

"Sonny, I'm sorry, but I don't have any choice, you know that. Just do as he says, and you can go back to your life. I'll be fine. Trust me. Sonny, just do it"

Sonny bites his lip as he glares at Vladim "You asshole!"

"Careful _Sonny_." Vladim laughs " It's only my daughter's goodwill that's keeping you alive now. If I have my way ... you will be a dead man"

Sonny keeps his hands up behind his head, slowly walking backwards toward the cooler doorway. "Sassi... don't do this. Don't listen to him."

"It's okay" she smiles "It will be fine"

As Sonny leaves the safety of the shield of her body, Vladim turn to face him "You know. actually I change my mind. I don't see the point in keeping you alive. Do you?"

"No!!!" Sassi realises now she's not protecting Sonny. He's going to do what he planned from the start. "NO! Please.... don't!" She starts to cry "Vladim!... Don't do this. Let him go"

"Saskia leave! You won't have to see. Just wait outside. I will take care of thiz."

She takes s deep breath "NO! Wait! you said"

"Just go, NOW!!" he's tone turns more aggressive "You do not need to see thiz. It's better thiz way. Trust me!"

"NO!! NO!!! " She screams. She realises stepping away from Sonny was a big mistake "No! if you're doing this then you do it in front of me. I'm not leaving!"

"Very well" Vladim smiles raising his gun "Your choice!"

She takes a sharp breath in. As the loud bang of the shot echoes around the room. Hurting her ears.

 _Awww!_ She jolts with shock. Then slowly still shaking, she opens her eyes. Tears streaming down her face. _Shit!_ She can't breathe. Her heart lurches forward in her chest as she hears the thud of a body dropping to the floor. _Ssssuuhh_! she sucks back her shock. Trying to keep herself calm.

"Fuck!" Sonny feels his chest armor for a moment, his heart lurches after he admits it stopped for a moment before restarting with a jolt. His breaths come rapidly as he realise he's still standing up, breathing. "Oh my god !" he breathlessly sighs out.

He looks at Sassi, then turns his head looking over where Vladim’ s body lays on the floor. He steps forward, placing his hand on her hand, and wrapping it calmly around the gun that she's holding, he prizes her finger from where its positioned on the trigger."Sassi let go!"   
  
He takes the gun from her, lowering her arm as she starts to violently shake. Her body rocking back and forward as the shock of what's happened hits her. "Oh god!" she can't breathe. She releases her grip, letting the Glock pass into Sonny's hand before he places it back in his side holster.

He wraps his arms around her. Holding her tight against his chest. Taking deep breaths of his own "Shhh! C'mon, c'mon you're gonna be alright"  
  
Oh Fuck! He looks at the body of Vladim, shot clean in the head "Why? Why the hell did you do that ?"

She looks up at him her lip quivering, she shrugs "He was gonna kill you! I don't know, I just did it!" She sucks in tears, hardly able to breath. She's in shock. Her heart beating so fast that she feels like she'll black out "Oh my god! What did I do? Sonny, I killed him! I killed my .... Oh shit! Shit! " She starts to cry uncontrollably

Sonny takes a moment thinking about what to do "C'mon we need to get out of here. We need to get you some help. We need to find Jason and the others."

"No! No, I can't. We can't leave him here."

"Sassi c'mon. He's dead. We need to go; we'll sort this out." He wraps her tight against him as she sobs into his body armor. He closes his eyes, taking deep breaths as he realises if she hadn't done what she did, then  it would be his body on the floor now.

He picks up his jacket from the floor, covering it over Vladim’ s body. She watches him, her lip quivers and tears roll down her cheeks. Sonny wipes them away as he drops a kiss onto her lips comforting her. 

She looks up at him "Was he really gonna make me go back?"

Sonny shrugs "Sassi, I don't know. He was gonna do some really bad things but I guess we'll never know what his plans were"

She takes a breath calming herself "You know... " She stands staring at the body "..I only did it for you." She looks up her eyes meet Sonny's. "What I mean is... I don't know if I'd have done it for anyone else. I just couldn't let that happen" she bites her lip, leaning forward to kiss him, wrapping her hand around the back of his neck pulling him to her "Sonny you're... "

"Hey, stop!" he closes his eyes pulling away from her. Unwrapping her hands from his head. He takes a deep breath "I'm sorry this can't happen anymore. I mean it's not that I don't want to but,it... it just can't. We have to stop now!"

"Okay" she nods "Okay.. .. _mmm hmmm_. Yeah, you're right. Are you gonna be okay? I mean... because of this. Is everything gonna be alright?" she takes a deep "I don't want you to get in trouble."

"I'll be fine!" he lies he has no idea if it's going to be alright. He has no idea what will happen to him after this. "Don't worry okay. It'll all be fine"

"And me? What's gonna happen to me? Will I go to jail?"

He sighs holding her tight against him "I don't know. I really don't know. It's not my call. But you are gonna be safe now"

They stand holding each other wrapped tightly in each other’s arms then they both jolt at the sound of another shot in the corridor. Sonny puts his hand on his gun immediately snapping back into action

"Stay there! Don't move!" he picks up his gun from the floor and heads towards the doorway. As he opens the door, Jason and Brock burst into the room. Sonny lets out a sigh of relief. "Thank God!"

"What the hell's going on here?" Jason frowns

 


	11. Kismet

The helo bay is a chaotic noise of people and equipment being moved around. But in among the disarray is the quiet tired of an exhausted team.  
BRAVO are sat on wooden benches that run along the outside wall of the emergency hospital bay. They're waiting, in the vague hope that sometime soon, command will soon okay their helo ride out.  Take them back to the C17 that's waiting on a god forsaken runway somewhere to take them stateside.  
  
Sonny's eyes are transfixed on the area across the other side of the vast hanger. Watching the confused mayhem going on around them.  
There are suits and uniforms everywhere, even one that he swore was Russian. There's lots of pacing , striding back and forward in hurried formations. Others holding deep and intense looking conversations.  
  
The only face among it all he really recognises is Mandy Ellis. She choppered in, what must be at least an hour ago, if not more, and seems to be at the heart of it all. Directing people with various hand gestures, while carrying numerous files in her hand, glancing at her phone constantly.  
  
It's now that Sonny realises he's having to guess the time. Both  his watch and phone have been confiscated, even if he has no idea why. _Hand it over!_ Jason said and he complied. Well an order is an order and he neither felt the inclination nor did he have the energy to argue. Saying that, time feels rather inconsequential right now. All he does know is that he hasn't slept.  
  
Somewhere he does remember eating, a chicken and rice thing, that he consumed so quickly he can't even remember what it tasted of, and he after that he does remember taking time to go pee, but that's it. Other than that, the time has been a long silent blur of sitting in various corridors, watching Jason speak to a variety of uniforms and saluting at various time when deemed correct.  
  
He sighs, moving his gaze from the discussions he had been focusing on, now turning his attention to the coffin draped in stars and stripes. It's laid there waiting, in the middle of the hangar, lonely but respectful ready for its final journey home. The body of the ship’s captain.  
  
Luck seemed on their side with there being only the one fatality, but he muses how close he himself came to being laid there. His fate could have been so very different in those few split decision-making seconds in the canteen. Even worse in his mind, there could've been two more boxes. Those containing members of BRAVO. If circumstances had hadn't gone their way, if luck wasn't on their side, if things hadn't happened how they did.  
  
There were other bodies. They weren't given quite the same dignity as the captain, just left in black vinyl zip bags in rows on the floor. _The Russian crew_. Sonny guessed. He frowns studying them, wondering if Vladim’ s body was there and if so, _which one_?

His gaze shifts again, this time focusing on Blackburn and Jason. They're engaged deep in a conversation that Sonny can't hear. _About him?_ he wonders. About what he did, or was it something far more concerning, more important than his errors of judgement. We're they discussing the impact of what he did, and what it would do to his career going forward. Was he really important enough, in this present moment to warrant their attention? He kind of hoped not.

He takes another longer, deeper breath, blinking his eyes, coming out of his hypothesized state and looking around, down along the bench next to him.  
  
Brock's deep in sleep, his back against the wooden bench, knees bent, his arms tight around his chest, hands tucked under his armpits. Trent's sitting upright, his hands crossed over his chest, also asleep or at least resting his eyes. He'd been up and down most of the time they sat there. Constantly taking time out to go check on the status of Ray, and Clay. Both still needing treatment, Ray still in a serious condition. Trent now felt slightly helpless, his part in their care being made redundant, since the ship doctors took over.

Sonny looks up sharply at the sudden and loud grinding sound from the other side of the huge space. Maintenance crews busy banging, drilling and welding to fix the broken hatch door.  
  
Sonny sighs loudly, rubbing his hand over his face. He's so tired and he realises that some time must have passed since they ate that last meal as his stomach growls again with hunger.  
  
_Oh shit!_ He takes a deep breath, looking up to see Jason striding towards them.  
  
"Alright, get your ass's in gear and be ready to move. Helos are inbound. Ten mics to exfil. They've arranged a C17 to take us back to VB"

"How's Ray?" Brock questions. He's still laid on the bench but at the sound of Jason's voice he has immediately snapped out of the deep coma he was in.

"Holdin in there. He's still not conscious, but he is off the critical list for, now. They're gonna chopper him out first, with Clay."

They stare out at the helo platform then see Clay now walking slowly towards them.

"Thank god" Sonny smiles seeing him up on his feet and a huge grin on his face " How you doin, buddy?"

"Yeah, I'm good. I'll be okay. They've patched me up pretty well. Said they gonna give me another IV when we get back on the plane. But for now,... He sighs "I'm good, really good!"  
  
Sonny frowns he seems so good, too good and it worries him. He wonders if, unsurprisingly, Clay is pushing himself too quickly to mend.

"Yeah well, sit down. Keep the weight off." Trent frowns moving along the bench making a space. Clay sits and it's noticeable that he immediately closes his eyes . Sonny frowns, something doesn't seem right and his face questions Trent showing his concern about how buoyant Clay is. Trent's response is to silently mouth "Morphine!"  
  
Sonny nods and smiles. Seeing Clay up and around, it allows Sonny time to relax. Leaning his head back on the wall behind he closes his eyes, taking a moment. It's not long though and his eyes suddenly blink wide open as he hears the sigh from the rest of the team.  
  
_"Sassi"_ Sonny whispers under his breath, sitting himself upright. He can see her being led by a striding Mandy Ellis. Her small build being flanked by the two large, blue and grey suited CIA sidekicks. One either side of her handcuffed frame.

Sonny lets out the breath he was holding. He can actually feel his heart leap in his chest. A pang of excitement, pleasure, relief all overshadowed by a tinge of sadness. He can't describe what the feeling is, but he just knows, right or wrong, that it's there.  
  
He'd had in the back of his head a nagging worry about what had happened to her. Was she okay? Was she sad and alone? How were they treating her? What was she, now victim or prisoner? The handcuffs suggesting the later but them they could just be precautionary, after all she could be pretty volatile, and she had just shot her father, so perhaps all things considered it was for the best.

He hardly dares move, sitting still and using his eyes to follow as they sit her further along the bench, still guarded either side by the solid looking goons who overshadow her and make her look so small.  
His eyes now focus front and centre where he can see Jason staring, watching him. He can hear him sigh and see his head shake, showing how he's so very disappointed. It's that look that hurts Sonny the most. That look of disappointment for the fact that he messed up in such spectacular style, and with absolutely no explanation for his actions.

He looks away, down at the floor focusing on a large oil spot. His mind ticking over, filled with his own unanswered questions. _Shit!  
_  
He takes a breath looking at Clay, looking at his team _What the fucks going on with you Sonny?_ It's the question that's not let him sleep since they sat down. Unable to shut his eyes without his brain questioning what possessed him. _Why the hell did you do this?  
  
_Clay was right earlier, this wasn't him well certainly not with someone like her and definitely not in situation like this, on a mission. He couldn't explain what had happened or why, not even to himself.  
  
Other than it was like she consumed him and his thoughts and that he felt they made an indescribable connection. A bond that was incomprehensible, even for someone like Sonny who was used to living in an often-chaotic world of non-sensible decisions, though to be fair they were usually aided by whiskey, or tequila. He couldn't even blame that this time, no this a sober concious fuck up, and one with far reaching consequences that he'd have to live with.

Was she just a victim that he fell for? Some weird reverse Stockholm syndrome, some spell or maybe she drugged him?

He certainly did feel sorry for her. The things she told him about that happened to her. Those things made him hurt inside. The things, they'd done to her made him angry and he want to kill those responsible. How bad it must have been that someone would choose to make a weapon to kill others, rather than endure more of that pain.  
  
And when he held her, when the helo went down, and then after she shot her father, she was almost like a child in his arms craving comfort, love and someone to hold her. It was as if she'd been locked away, starved of affection and now would do anything for it. She really did want to be saved from hell as she saw it.  
  
But then there was this other side, which he didn't like. A darker side, a strength to save herself. She would do whatever she needed to keep herself safe. This disturbing edge, a dangerous and very smart woman who was capable of building a bomb. A bomb to kill hundreds of people.  
And then she could attack and kill as she chose. Clay,  her father and Sonny wondered if she'd done it before. She was certainly skilled, that shot was clean. One single perfect shot to the head. She had meant to kill, not wound. Things like that, the way she handled that knife it confused and scared him. Things like that meant he really didn't know her, but those things also  intrigued him. They made a passion burn inside him and yeah, yeah when it boiled down to it on a primal level, she turned him on.  
  
Jason was right, to some degree, his dick did take over his brain around her. Being near her made him hard and he wanted her.  
  
Maybe he just had some fetish for woman that put him at risk. Look at this _thing_ with Davis. He knew it was a no. no. That them fucking, it risked everything. And yet still they did it and still they continued to do it.

Maybe he was just a junkie for risk, for edge living? And maybe that spilled into his sexual desires.

Whatever it was about her he didn't know, but one thing he did know was she intrigued him, and he needed to know more.  That wasn't going to happen now. Now, as he hears the whump of rota blades , now she was about to be gone forever and he would have to find a way to box off the feelings and thoughts he had for her.

They all look up as the sounds of the helos arriving on the outer deck. The thudding, whumping purr as they touch down, echoing around the hangar.

They take a deep relieved breath as Ray is brought out on a trolley. Drips, blood and a mask over his face. The helo medic beside him picking up the small portable oxygen cylinder. Talking with the other doctors. He has a helmet on so it's obvious he's going with them.  
  
Sonny looks up, Jason still staring at him. His arms folded and the huge the waves of tension he's giving off can be felt from where he's standing.

" Okay heads up " Blackburn snaps up their attention " First bird is gonna take Ray and Spenser"  
  
Clay looks up and in his wide eyed painkiller state he nods and smiles. Blackburn frowns at him "Mandy and her team are going on the second, they will be escorting Dr Renkov back to the C17. They'll travel back to the states with us. Last bird up will take the rest of us, so get geared up and ready to leave ASAP "  
  
He hands Jason a plastic bag and Sonny notices that it contains their phones and watches. Finally he'll get to know the time and where the hell they are.

**  
o-o-o-o-o-o-o  
  
**

The C17 had this low noisy dull roar. The good thing is because it's so constant that after a while it fades into the background and you manage to block it out and ignore. 

Now it feels like a more peaceful calm than the chaos of the aftermath onboard the ship. Sonny finds himself head in hands quietly alone, sitting on the bench. Rubbing sleep from his face. _Fuck I'm tired.  
  
_This mission had exhausted him, both physically and mentally in way he'd never felt before. He's staring, watching Jason who is once again is engaged deep in conversation. This time with Blackburn and Mandy.  
  
Every now and again he throws the odd glance in Sonny's direction. He's not sure if that means they're discussing him or if it's just Jason trying to make him feel uncomfortable. It wouldn't surprise him because he knew, for now, and at least until he got his ass kicked out of Bravo, that Jason would go all out to make his life as uncomfortable as was physically possible.

He sighs, getting up and grabbing one of the beers from the open cooler. Even that, a normal action, one they've all done hundreds of times before now feels like a crime as he sees Jason glare at him

 _Oh, fuck it. I don't care what you think. I need a drink!_ He takes several long mouthfuls of the beer. _Ahhh!_ he gasps at the taste while looking at the bottle. Sneering his nose in disgust.  
Even the beer tastes sour, not refreshing like he'd hoped. _Shit!_ He rubs his hand through his hair, thinking how much he's looking forward to getting back and standing for a long time in a hot shower.  
  
He looks around to the back of the plane. Both Spenser and Ray are receiving medical treatment. Ray's still unconscious, sedated by the drugs that they've given him for the flight. They've been told, he's out of immediate danger and that medical teams are on standby in the US to deal with him as soon as they land.

Clay's sitting up, he's talking with Trent and he seems so much better, though they're still giving him IV fluids and antibiotics and he's still semi spaced on pain relief. But Trent's happy, keeping a watchful eye stood by the side of his trolley.

Now Sonny looks further past the guys and he can make out the other trolley and there, near the back, away from the others is the one that Sassi is lying on.  
  
The two suits are still with her, one sitting while the other stands beside the Doctor that's treating her. He notices she has an IV line in her arm and that she's still wearing handcuffs though Sonny's not actually sure why. _I mean where the hell's she gonna go at 10 000 feet?  
  
_It makes him laugh out loud and she turns her head from looking at the medic redressing her leg to look at him. She smiles , mouthing s silently " _You okay?_ " and _"I'm sorry"_

He nods in response. Letting out a long sigh. _Fuck!_  
  
All this waiting is the thing that's driving him crazy. If Jason's gonna blast him out he just wishes he'd do it now and get it out of the way. Tell him his punishment, or if he was out of Bravo. But this was Jason. He was gonna make him wait, string him out, hold him in suspense.  
Even if he was getting kicked out Jason would torture him first, humiliate him, make him feel like shit then make him run till he was exhausted before saying _Get the fuck out my sight!  
_ No, he knew it would probably be days before he'd find out the consequences of his missteps.

He takes another long drink of the beer then looking up he can see Clay, reading his mind as usual. That kid was too astute.  
  
They exchange smiles."Hey." Sonny sighs as he leans against the trolley "How ya doin?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm good. Sore, but I feel good. What's goin’ on with you. You okay?"

Sonny nods but doesn't exactly answer the questions " Yeah I'm fine"

"Okay....well you don't look it. You look like shit!"

"Thanks " he sighs while grazing his fingers through his hair "Ah...you know, just stuff on my mind. Tired."

"So, what the hell happened Sonny? What's going on with you and Jason? That's quite some frosty atmosphere you got going on there. You in some sort of trouble? "

"Maybe!" he sighs rubbing his head "Fuck...Yeah! Oh, Clay I dunno what the hell happened. I think I lost my mind"

"Oh, Sonny you didn't? " he looks around hushing his voice "This about her?.... Shit!"

They both look over where they can now see Sassi laying quietly on her side on the trolley. She's still under the watchful eye of a guy in a suit who sits beside her, his eyes closed, not moving. Sonny's staring, watching him "Who's the spook?"

Clay looks around "Something to do with Mandy. She was questioning her earlier when they first got back, before you arrived."

"She say anything?"

"Not that I could tell"

Sonny sighs he looks around "Any word on what happened with Vladim’ s body or what they did with that case?"

"I dunno, suits were all busy heads in conversation, but nothing I could hear. Guess it'll be their call now, about what happens next. We've done our bit"

"What'd ya think they'll do with her?"

Clay looks at him hesitating "I don't know, I don't really care, and neither should you. Sonny, you have to put this to be..d... just forget about it." he frowns looking at the concern on Sonny's face so tries to be helpful and answer "Oh I don't know, I guess Mandy will question her a lot more and they'll try to get out of her what's in that case. Sonny.... what really happened with you and her? "

"Nothin!" He cuts the conversation dead, taking a long drink from his beer

"Really? Nothing! Sonny just tell me."

"I can't" he sighs " I can't... cos I don't know, and that's the truth. Oh Clay, I don't know what the hell happened, but I do know Jason's ready to reem my ass. So, who knows what will happen now”?

"It'll be fine. Jason will come around....well eventually" he smiles "C'mon just suck it up. Whatever ass kickin' he gives, you can handle it, right?"

"Can I?" he sighs " I dunno Clay. I'm tired. Never felt so damn tired before. Oh my god! Clay, do you ever think that... maybe we should give it up this life? I mean look at this op. We spent the time defending that thing in that case, and now we don't have a clue what's in it, or even where it went. It's all politics. I dunno ..." he sighs long and deep "..I do know I need another drink!".

"C'mon Sonny, you'll be okay" Clay frowns he's really concerned. The quiet responses he's never known Sonny this despondent before and it worries him.

Jason's now checking in on Ray. Standing behind where Sonny and Clay are talking. Sonny looks up catching his eye and he tries to make friendly engagement. Break the frosty ice between them and gauge how their relationship sits right now "So, hows he doin?"

Jason glances up but doesn't answer. _  
  
Hmmm! "_You wanna beer?...Jason?" Sonny tries again, still getting no answer. "Jace, c'mon man, how long's this not talkin gonna go on?"

Jason laughs "How long? How long's this gonna go on? Hell, we only just started. We aren't even back yet, so you tell me. " he glares at him "Hey, but maybe not long. Maybe, we get back and they'll kick your ass outta here fairly sharp! You just remember, _you_ what _you_ did. It nearly cost Clay his life, let alone maybe yet his career!"

"Yeah but Jace ... we got Ray back, right! Vladim dead. The case, her, it all came good in the end, right?... Right."

"And you think that was down to you? That it makes everything you did right?" Jason snorts, scoffing his laugh back "No, wrong! It was your want for a quick _fuck_ that nearly cost this team everything. I can't forgive that Sonny. "

"Oh, c'mon Jason, that's not fair. It was nothing like that. It wasn't that, she just..."

"She just what? " Jason laughs "Listen to yourself Sonny. I don't care how you try to square this away, truth is you were thinking with your dick, end of story! " he frowns taking a breath calming himself "What the hell happened to you? You put that woman before your team, and now I'm supposed to be pleased, that by chance, by fate of luck that it all turned out okay. See, I don't think so. Right now, I can't trust you Sonny. I don't know if I'll ever be able to"

"Jace please! "Sonny frowns, staring long and hard as Jason dismisses him and won't listen "Oh, so what... what you're gonna go all morals on me now? Well about that. I mean, you were prepared to lock her in that cooler and let her die in there, based on some half-cocked plan you weren't even sure would work. So, don't talk to me about crossin' lines. You had no idea what she'd been through. What they did to her, the fear. And then you did that to her. You're no better than them for using her for your own gain. No wonder she wanted out, at any cost!"

Sonny's lecture hasn't improved Jason's mood in any way, and he grabs hold of the collar on Sonny's shirt "Who the fuck do you think you are? You wanna lecture me?! You know what, I'm gonna make damn sure you're off this team, Sonny. Count on it!"

“Heyyy! Hey …” Trent steps between them “What the hell's going on? Just calm it!”

Blackburn’s standing hands on hips looking at them all “Master Chief!! A word! NOW!"

Sonny sighs, adjusting his clothes as Jason and Blackburn walk away. As he turns around Clay's staring at him "So, what the hell did you do Sonny?"

"I told ya, nothin...I need another drink!” Sonny walks away. Grabbing another beer out from the cooler, his eyes now focus on Sassi. She's laid on the trolley, tired and half asleep but she still manages to smile at him. He looks around checking who may be watching and then he returns the smile.

Having witnessed the ongoing argument, Davis looks up from her laptop, she can see Jason and Blackburn deep in conversation and Mandy watching them from where she's stood at the opposite side of the desk to Lisa.  
  
"Okay, so what’s going on?" Davis frowns "With Sonny and Jason."

"Who knows” Mandy shrugs trying to ignore her questions “Could be anything, or nothing!"

"Oh, c'mon it's not nothing! I just saw what happened. What the hell's going on, Mandy?"

Mandy sighs looking up, checking around. Seeing who may be nearby to overhear them. She hesitates and coughs "Look, I probably shouldn't say this, but .... well, you're probably gonna hear anyway. Something happened on the ship...between Sonny and .. and Dr Renkov!"

Davis frowns "Something happened? What does that mean? What do you mean something happened?"

"Oh, c'mon Lisa, you know... _something!_ " she coughs again "Sonny, well he took it too far. Blurred the lines. They... they you know"

"They what?" Lisa frowns "Oh! Oh my god! No, no you can't be serious, right? Sonny and...and her. But why? Why would he do that"

Mandy shrugs "I don't have all the facts yet, just what the rumor that I was reading between Jason's lines. "

 _Huh!_ Davis sighs loudly _Oh my god!_ " But I don't get it. No. .no he wouldn't. He could lose everything... I mean he could lose his job is what I mean!"

 _Mmmm hmm!_ Mandy nods "That's what Eric and Jason are gonna be discussing about keeping him on the team. Or in Jason's case.. not!"

"No! No, I don't believe this..... _her?_ He wouldn't. This can't be right. They must have it wrong. Sonny wouldn't do that to.... I mean look at her, she's not even his type!"

"Sonny has a type?" Mandy laughs "Look, I'm just going by what Jason told me. He's pretty cut up about it. It had something to do with why Clay got injured. Look sorry, I gotta take this call!"

Davis looks up from her computer staring over at Sonny. He's sitting alone, beer in one hand his head resting on the other as she wanders over towards him  
  
"Hey!" she smiles looking down at him "So, how you doin? Heard there was a few problems, with the op"

"Yeah, we'll I been better, that's for sure!"

"So, I hear it didn't all go too well, you know Ray and then Clay getting injured, what happened there?"

"Oh, you know ....stuff happened. Told ya before we went, I hate these kinda political bullshit missions" He smiles, putting the beer bottle to his lips he avoids eye contact with her.

"I... I um…also heard another rumor. Is it true?"

"I dunno know, depends what it was" he shrugs

"Well, it was about you. You and um.... the scientist. That you and Dr Renkov, got close. Is it true Sonny?"

Sonny takes a deep breath "Look ...Lisa please, I can explain"

"Explain! Oh my god! Oh my god, it's true? " she hushes her voice " It's true that something happened between you and her? I don't believe you. Sonny I thought you and me... I thought..."

"Hey Lisa, wait! Wait it’s not what you think!"

"Not what I think, right. Not what Jason thinks either? Right? Not why he's being the way he is about you. You know what....stay the hell away from me, Sonny!" Disappointed and visibly upset she shakes her head and walks off

 _Fuck!!_ Sonny rubs his head and as he does he can see Sassi looking at him _Fuck!_

"Hi!" Sonny coughs, nervously checking behind him as he casually walks toward the trolley she's lying on. He smiles at the grey suit who's sitting near her, he's reading his phone and virtually takes no notice of Sonny after all why would he, they're all security cleared on this flight right?

He smiles "So, how you doin?" he looks back again, watching Jason still engaged in conversation with Blackburn and Mandy "Look um.... this has to be quick. I'm already in enough trouble but I... I just wanna know if you alright. They been treatin you okay?"

"Yeah! Yeah, I'm good. And you, you alright?"

"Been better. But... but I'm here and that's thanks to you!"

"Yeah! she sighs "Sonny.... Sonny, I'm sorry. For everything, but I guess it all happened for a reason, right?"

 _Hmmm!_ He sighs "That's one way to look at it I guess. Though I’m not sure what the hell that reason is"

"Kismet." she smiles " You know what that is?"

"err.... nope. What the hell is that?"

"Kismet ....it's... fate, destiny, luck. Things that happen for a reason"

"Oh, that. Right... I dunno maybe, maybe they do"

"Maybe this, us .. maybe it was, fate."

"What for me to get my ass booted out of the team? Man, as fate goes... that really sucks" he laughs trying to not get too serious

"That's not gonna happen is it?" she frowns " They're not gonna kick you out? You saved my life. Surely, they can't do that." she looks over at Jason" Him he's gonna do that? Kick you out. Is that why he was arguing with you earlier. I saw. Sonny, he was gonna let me die in the cooler. And you came back for me. You're a good man."

"Hey, c'mon. Don't cry. You have to be tough now. You can do that right. Look just tell em what they need to know ans as for me.... I dunno. Maybe, I did cross a line there. Kissing you. Wanting to be with you. That was a big mistake. So, who knows, maybe you're right and this is my fate. Guess I used up my nine lives for luck. But as long as you're okay, that's all that really matters. Look, did they say what's gonna happen? Where they're taking you"

"No..No, he doesn't' talk much." She smiles nodding towards grey suit and that woman. _huh!_ She...oh who knows. I'm away from there that's all I care!"

"Look, I need to go. I shouldn't be here. I shouldn't be talking to you. On the making things worse scale this is an off the scale ten! Sassi take care."

"Sonny.... Thank you! I won't forget what you did"

"Yeah, yeah me either!"

 

**So? Do you want to find out what happens to Sonny or ... shall we leave them there?  
Will Sassi and Sonny ever meet again? Should they even? **

 


	12. Ten hundred, sharp!

There's a loud groan followed by _Sssnnffffff Khahhhh!!!_ It's the weird sound that only Sonny can  make. A combination of a deep sniff and a snore at the same time. It's the sound of him clearing sleep from the back of his throat as he turns over from where he lays on the couch. He's waking up. Coming around from being a comatose drunk to being a, half asleep, drunk.  
  
His hand reaches down, feeling along the bottom edge of the couch until finally, it lands on what he's looking for. He hesitates, resting his fingers against the cool glass of the Jack Daniels bottle lying on the floor beside him. He grasps it in his hand and then without even opening his eyes, picks it up from its resting place and butts the hard glass rim against the soft of his lips.  
  
"Empty!" _Fuck!_ He swears as he literally sucks the last two, life giving, drops from inside. Desperate to taste the warm liquor, and its special healing powers on his tongue again. _Shit!  
_  
 _Sssnnffff!_ He sniffs again, throwing the now useless empty bottle down on the floor. It makes a clinking sound as the glass hits against the other whiskey bottle, also empty and discarded there. He turns over onto his side he blinks his eyes open. Looking up at, the sound muted, TV.  
  
His free right hand finds its way inside, the four-day old, boxer shorts he's wearing and scratches at the itch on his balls. While he continues to lay like a zombie, staring at the bright, eye aching images of the news channel that's been on constant repeat.  
  
He sighs again. Not a mention, not a hint, nothing has made its way to the world media about their mission. Four days on and not even a mention of the Captain or the crew. He smiles at the fact that even some pauper renegade pirates made more of a story than Russians, a bomb and hijacked US warship. _What the fuck is going on in this world?_ Sonny muses in his drunken state.  
  
Four days! That's how long Sonny's been laid there in a drunken stupor, the only time he's moved was to venture to the liquor store in search of more supplies, and then back and forward a couple of times to the front door, when the takeaway delivery arrived.  
  
He's lived on rationed portions of the two large, now cold pizzas he ordered two days ago. Hell, he didn’t need food. He could live quite well on booze only. Hunger never became an issue as long as he had the required amount of alcohol, and he'd never sobered up enough to feel hungry.  
  
Booze had been his friend, his companion for the past four days. But now, now something was interrupting that partnership and it seemed like they were parting company. He was beginning to sober up and he could hear a heavy pounding sound of that in his head. _  
  
Fuck!_ He sits himself up. His brain, which felt like it had shifted to the left side of his head when as he slept on the couch, now with a heavy thud, slides back into its correct position in his skull. _  
  
Oh fuck!_ He grimaces in pain, placing both the palms of his hands against his temples, rubbing them in large firm circles, trying to ease the dull ache. The thudding noise doesn't stop and taking a deep breath in he now realises that maybe it's not in his head.   
  
No it's really not in his head, the sound is that of a loud pounding fist against the apartment door. "Sonny!!!!.... Sonny, open the fucking door!" Clay yells loudly from the hallway outside as he bangs his hand hard on the door.

 _Oh hell!_ Sonny drops back against the couch pillows, his hand reaching to the side table, taking the empty beer can, shaking it and then draining the dregs from inside.

 _Thud! Thud! Thudddd!...... Thudddd! Thud!_ The banging goes on, relentless this time as Clay doesn't stop "Sonny it's Clay!! I know you're in there"  
  
Then. _Thank god!_ There's a silent momentary pause before _Oh hell!_ The banging and shouting begins again. "Sonny!!! I'll break this down if you don't open it!" He won't, he's not recovered enough to kick in a door yet, but he can make it sound like he will.

Sonny still ignores the knocking, instead looking at the time and date on his cell phone. _Oh fuck!!_ He rubs his head. Hesighs wondering where the last three days went.He remembers the first day, but after that it’s an alcohol induced blur.  
  
He looks at the endless stream of missed calls and texts from Clay's number, interspersed randomly with some from Trent. A _'Hi, are you okay? Call me if you need me.'_ from Brock then followed by another continuous stream of _Text me. Call me._ Then ‘ _where the fuck are yous'_ from Clay. He frowns staring at the list of names and numbers and noticeable by its absence, there's nothing from Jason. Sonny sighs loudly.

 _Bannnggg! Bang! ....Bang!_ The door goes again.

 _He's not gonna fuckin let up is he?_ Sonny resigns himself to the fact that he's going to have to open the door as he hears Clay start to kick at it. _Shit!_ “Alright ..alright! Give me a fuckin chance to get there. Some of us were sleepin don't ya know!”

He surfaces from the couch. His head too heavy for his body, his neck stiff and it aches. He adjusts his hat on his head then stumbles, wearing only his underpants, to the door and unlocks it.

"Where the fu.... oh my god!" The stench from inside the apartment wafts out of the door, hitting Clay full on. It makes his eyes water and his throat retch "What the hell happened to you?" Clay stands staring, his head lined with a frown at the smell and mess confronting him.

"Yeah, hi to you too, and come in why don't you. Seein as you had every intention of letting yourself in any way."  
  
Sonny takes his place back on the couch in front of the TV. He leans forward, resting his head in his hands. He takes his cap off and pulls his fingers through the greasy mess of his hair, then moving his hand downward, he strokes the overgrown, scruffy and matted, facial growth on his face.

"Sonny, what the hell happened here?" Clay frowns searching the apartment for somewhere to sit and somewhere that's not covered by empty tins of beer or bottles. He picks up one, a half drunk, small bottle of whiskey that's still emptying some of its contents on to the floor. He's really lost for words as he looks with utter horror at the state of apartment, and Sonny. "What the hell...."

"Look.... if all you're here for, is to criticize my cleaning procedures. Then you know what... turn right around and follow your tail out that door again!"

"No... no I don't care what this place looks like, through while you mention it .....Jesus Christ Sonny it's a mess!" he sighs. He takes a deep breath "What the hell’s going on with you? And why haven't you answered me? It's been four days now. You didn't even come see me at the hospital. I've been calling non-stop to check if you were alright. I was worried Sonny. Even Trent came and tried to get hold of you, two days ago. He said he thought you'd gone out. It don't look like you've been anywhere!"

"Yeah! Yeah I know. And I see that you called. If you ask me it’s that amount of calls, well it's bordering on stalker like behaviour. I mean, can't a man have a few days peace and quiet to be by himself?"

"Yeah, yeah you can but not to be like this. This is not good Sonny" He sighs picking up some of the empty bottles from the floor "I'm gonna make you some coffee. Sober you up. I want you to come with me and see Ray. Trent says he's awake now. And Naima needs some support"

"I don't wanna sober up. I’m quite happy just the way I am, thank you! So, you take all your good intentions and go ... I’m sure you can find someone more needy to go practice your charity work on"

"Sonny.... what the hell's wrong with you. You need to snap out of this. You know Jason’s never gonna let you back if he sees this. The state of this place...the state of you! You need to get it together and like ASAP!"

“Why? Why the hell should I? What good will it do, hmmm? You tell me. What the hell I got goin for me now anyways"

"Sonny, don't talk like this. Look what ever happened I’m sure Jason will calm down, soon. Yeah, sure he'll kick your ass about for a week or so, maybe longer. And okay worst case... he sends you to green team for a bit. But he's not gonna kick you off the team, not for good. You messed up but you’re a good operator, one of the best and Jason knows that. Hell, Blackburn’s never gonna let him do that either!"

"No.. no, the things I said to him when we got back. No that wasn't pretty. And the fact he's not called my phone, not once. No, my boat has sailed. Me getting back in this team, it's not gonna happen, I know it. Hell, it would take divine intervention for Jason to let me back in BRAVO now."

Clay frowns "What the hell did you say to him?"

"Oh, you don't wanna know" he rubs at his head as he remembers his words "Hell, you know.. after a bottle of whiskey.. well.. well it seemed such a good idea. Though I'd clear the air, you know if I got all my _feelin's_ off my chest. But you know maybe it don't seem such a great idea now."  
  
He sighs rubbing his head "Oh Clay don't worry about me alright. I’m sure I'll end up a nice little statistic somewhere, one of those _has been_ operators who spend their days drunk or on meds on some doctors watch list!"

"I’m getting you some coffee. This is drunken bullshit. You need to sober up and stop talking crap."

“I don't want coffee. You wanna be useful? Then go get me more whiskey.”

Clay grabs the bottle of vodka Sonny now finds and takes it from him. Marching straight to the sink in the kitchenette, he pours it down the drain. "Stop!"

Sonny's fuming, following him, desperately clinging to the bottle. As he watches the contents disappear down the drain he lashes out, taking a fist throwing swing at Clay.  
  
He misses. Landing himself with a heavy, shoulder aching thud on the floor. _Fuck!_ He lays looking at the floor, unable to lift himself up. Rolling onto his back he just lays where he fell and stares at the ceiling.

Clay stands over his virtually naked body "Feel better for that? " he shakes his head "What the hell do you look like? Get your ass up!.... NOW Sonny! Get up! I mean it." Clay sighs watching as somehow Sonny finds a way to stagger to his feet. Holding the hurt in his shoulder from the fall he stands swaying looking at Clay "Bossy little fucker aren’t you!"

Clay smiles, then laughs " C'mon, let's get you a shower. Then coffee, then breakfast and then...then we'll go see Ray. Maybe he can talk some sense into that thick skull of yours!"

"Clay, I can't go see Ray. Not today. Not like this."

"Why ? What'd you do to Ray?"

"Nothin"

"So... then what's the problem? Look Sonny, Ray needs us alright. He needs us to keep his spirits up. C'mon he might be facing being out, through no choice of his own. And then there's you, you trying to throw it away, all by yourself. Yeah nice one Sonny. Well the least you can do is be there for Ray. Just be a man and face him"

Sonny sighs, he can feel his lip quiver, a lump in his throat hurts as he starts to get all emotional. The tears well in his eyes. He desperately fights to stop them rolling down his cheeks. He loses that battle. _Fuck!_ "Clay what the hell am I gonna do? I got nothin without BRAVO you know that. I don't think I can go on if I don't have my team."  
  
He cries openly now, and it worries Clay. He wraps his arms around his naked flesh and holds him tight, or as tight as his healing injury will allow. "C'mon don't do this. Go get a shower and clean yourself up, cos....Sonny you stink!" they both smile "And Sonny, I hope you got some clean underwear in there, cos those shorts, they are _not_ good!"

"Why what's wrong with these?" he smiles as he looks at the various indescribable stains on them "You know I thought they'd be good for at least another couple of days?!" He laughs "Clay... thanks buddy. Thanks for comin to see me. I needed this. I can't get through this without you!"

"I know. You know I'm here for you, always. Now go! And I'll see about gettin this place cleaned up."

 

**o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o**

 

AS they enter the hospital Sonny starts taking deep breaths. Waves of anxiety surge through his body, his hands shakes, though that's probably the tremors from not drinking for about three hours now. It would probably take a month to detox his liver the amount of alcohol he consumed in the past four days. _Shit!_ "You know, I can't do this. I mean, what the hell am I gonna say to him?"

"Sonny, just calm down alright. Be normal. Be yourself."

"Be myself? Hell, even I don't know what my _self_ is anymore! I can't do this, Clay." he takes a breath and turns around ready to walk away

"Sonny Quinn!!!Get your ass back here, right now!" Clay frowns "Now stop this. Ray need us, so it's time to suck it up, and stop feeling sorry for you."

"Yeah, you're right." He nods .  
  
They get to the door of the side room and they can see Naima. She has her head down resting on Ray's hand as she sits by his bedside. She looks up and smiles at them "Come in. He's sleeping"

 _Oh hell!_ Sonny frowns seeing her sat there all alone. He can feel his emotions stirring up inside "Naima, honey how ya doin?"

"I’m good thanks, Sonny" she clings to Ray's hand, stroking it "You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm okay. How's he doin'? He come around yet?"Clay and Sonny nervously approach the bedside, they can see Ray still has his eyes tight shut. Various drips still coming out of his arms

"They said he's good" she smiles apprehensively, her face tired and tear stained. She doesn't look like she's slept "He's still very tired from all the drugs they're giving him for the pain. I'm hoping to bring the kids up later, to see him. Hopefully that will cheer him up some. He's so low. Worrying about making it back to the team. I've told him he has to take his time"

Sonny swallows, he feels terrible. Wondering how he could have felt so sorry for himself when Ray was facing this. He might not make it back and it was none of his doing. He and Clay look at each other  
  
"He'll be fine! He's strong" Clay smiles "And we're here for him, all of us. We'll get him through this, just wait and see!"

Clay wraps his arms around her as she puts her head in her hands and starts to cry "What if he doesn't Clay? What will he do? Oh god...how will he cope without BRAVO you are his brothers. He'll never cope"

 _Shit!_ Sonny can't look, his own eyes now filling with tears. All he can think is how pathetic he feels, how helpless and how, hungover. "I'll go get some coffees" he excuses himself.

As he leaves the room and enters the corridor he can see Jason striding towards him. _Oh hell!_ He looks up, wiping the one solitary tear from his face as he's confronted, for the first time since they got back, by Jason "Oh .. hey" he smiles apprehensively unsure of the welcome he might receive now. "Naima said Ray's doing okay, you goin to see him? I'm just gonna get coffee's you want one?"

Jason just stares at him and doesn't speak.  
  
"Jason?" Sonny sighs and tries again "Jace man, look I'm sorry alright. Sorry for everything. But I just wondered, you know what's gonna happen yet? You know if I’m gonna get disciplined." he frowns as Jason still doesn't answer. "Oh, c’mon man! There must be something you can tell me by now. You know I've put up with this for four-days and still heard nothin'. All I wanna know is am I gonna still be rollin with BRAVO or are you plannin' on shippin' me out ?"

Jason smiles, well it's more of a smirk, but he still won't answer his questions. He turns around, heading back in the direction of Ray's room. Walking away from Sonny.

"Hey c'mon man!" Sonny jogs behind him, making a grab at his arm, turning him around to face him "Please man, I’m beggin here. Just tell me what’s gonna happen. I just wanna know my punishment. Look Jace, I'm ready to face anything you wanna throw at me, but this .. this silence, this ignoring me. This I can't take!"

"Ahhh! So what? I’m supposed to feel sorry for ya? Feel sorry you can't take it. _You_ did this Sonny. _YOU!_ Only you are to blame for the situation you find yourself in."

"C'mon, I said I’m sorry. I said I didn't know what happened, that it was one off mistake, something that will never ever happen again. It was a moment of madness. I just... I just felt for her. I just ... oh I don't know. Yeah fine, I’ll admit I really liked her. When she told me they tortured her, well it made me feel sick. She was innocent, Jason, and they hurt her real bad. We connected"

"Oh, listen to ya! That sure is some pathetic justification. She's a terrorist Sonny. She made a bomb to hurt hundreds, if not thousands of people. How do you know she didn't do it willingly? How do you know what she told you was even the truth ? You felt sorry for her. God, I didn't realise how pathetic you really are. Everything we've been through as a team and you threw a way in a moment"

"Hey, I know what I did alright. But let me put it right. Let me show you again why I’m on BRAVO. C'mon Jace, one mistake that's all it was" he sighs "Okay well then at least do me the decency and tell me what's gonna happen. How you're gonna make me pay"

"You know what Sonny, go home and sober up, _if_ you can! Then take a shower, cos you stink!" he sighs "Then get yourself together, cos you need to report to Blackburn’s office at ten hundred tomorrow. That's where you'll find out what's gonna happen to you. I'm looking forward to it. I hope he makes it good. But I promise you, if he don't and by some fluke of luck, fate whatever the hell you wanna call it and you do remain with BRAVO, then you can count on me making your life hell. But till tomorrow.... get the hell out of my sight!"

Clay's at the doorway watching them in the corridor "Everything here alright? he frowns

"Yeah, yeah Sonny's just leaving. He needs to go clean up. Seems he's got himself in a right messy situation"

"Jace please... " Clay frowns "look I know, what he did but don't you think this has gone too far now? Bravo needs Sonny. I need him. C'mon, Jason we all messed up on that mission. We all did things that... that maybe we could've done better or shouldn't have done. You included. Just give him his punishment. Run his ass around a few times. Hell, I don't know even stick him training green team if you must. Could give the rest of us a laugh"  
He smiles trying to lighten the really intense atmosphere between them all "Jace, with Ray in a bad way, this is when we need to pull together. Need to be there for Ray"

"Clay just concentrate on getting yourself fit again. I’m gonna need you back now, more than ever. You're gonna be stepping up and I need to know you have your loyalties straight"

Clay sighs "Jason, don't question my loyalties. But you know this is wrong. What you’re doing, how far you’re pushing this. It’s not right. I think you need to be questioning your loyalties and some of your decisions a bit more .. cos what I seen lately....this is not the Jason I know, and respected"

Jason smiles at Clay. He bites his lip. He's annoyed. Maybe Clay's right maybe he is pushing this too far but there is no way that he's going to admit that he thinks that. No way he's going to back down.  
  
He pushes past them both "You know I have to go see Ray now. See if my number two needs anything from me. See if I can help him in anyway. I'll catch up with you later. Clay, go home and get some rest. Oh, and Sonny.... remember ten hundred sharp, tomorrow Blackburn’s office!"

 


	13. Time to let it go.

"Hey, yeah it's me again, you had any luck finding him yet?.....No me neither"   
Clay sighs frustrated checking the time on his watch as continues searching around the bar. He's talking with Trent on the phone, both of them out searching the local area for Sonny, who's missing since last night.

"Okay we'll if you got nothin then do you wanna head back to his apartment, wait there, see if he turns up. I'm just gonna go check that club _Emile's_. I know he used to hang out there sometimes" Clay scratches his head, desperately trying to think about where else Sonny might be. "If he's not there then I don't know where else to try. So, I guess, if we can't find him, then we'll have to call Ray or worst case.. Jason!"   
  
There's a moments silence from the other end of the call but he can hear Trent groan " Alright, well then I'll head back to Sonny's now and Clay, try not to worry too much, he's bound to turn up. You know Sonny, probably just passed out in a bar somewhere."

"Yeah, I guess. I'll keep looking for now. Let you know if I find anything" Clay sighs then leaving the place he's in he goes back to his truck and drives off. _I knew I should have stayed over last night. I shouldn't have left him!_

 

**o-o-o-o-o-o**

 

"Sonny! Sonny for god sake man, stand up!" Clay sighs trying to hold his, very, drunk body against the wall. Keeping him upright is difficult as he tries to find the key for the door and with injury to his side it's turning into a bit of a struggle. "Sonny give me your key" he sighs again " For god sake... Sonny, where the hell are your keys?" _Aww! Jesus, this is impossible._ He frowns, rolling his eyes as he turns to looks at Trent, both of them now searching for the key to the apartment door.

"Clayyyyy! Clay, I .. I love you man!" Sonny smiles swinging his arm around Clay's neck, pulling at his neck.

"Yeah, yeah that's great man. I love you too, but I'd love you more if you told me where the hell your key was!"

"Oh keys...yeah...yeah my keys. Wait what? Keys for ...which keys, for my truck?"

"No, no not for your truck, for the door. Sonny for the apartment door, where is the key?" Clay checks his watch, again. He sighs noticing how late it's getting. They're running out of time fast and his frustration is starting to make him annoyed.   
  
Holding one hand against Sonny's chest he firmly pins him to the corridor wall and shoves his other hand into the outer, front, pocket of his jeans searching for the key.

" _Woah man!!_ " Sonny cries out. He smiles trying to pull on Clay's hand as he searches him "What the hell are you doin ?"

Trent laughs watching them struggle and decides that he'd better try to help and so using both of his hands pushing them against Sonny's shoulders, he holds him straight while Clay feels each of this pockets in turn. Then finally _Phew!_ he smiles "A key!"

"Clay, I love you man!"

Clay rolls his eyes and Trent lets go.Sonny's arms  collapse around Clay's neck _Shit!_ Clay groans as his body takes the full drunken weight "Yeah, yeah that good Brother. I love you too!"  
  
"Trent...." he smiles waving his finger in Trent's face "I ... love you too man!"

"Jesus Christ Clay, you think we're ever gonna be able to sober him up in time?"

Clay frowns as he puts the small silver key in the lock and opens the door. " Well were gonna have to try. There's no way he's passing any disciplinary, not in this condition that's for sure. If Jason even gets a whiff of the state he's in, if he wasn't already, then he'll definitely be out now!" He frowns turning around to open the door "C'mon Sonny, let's get you inside "

"I need a drink!" Sonny frowns searching the first cabinet in the kitchen hoping the bottle of Jack Daniel’s he thought he hid is still in there.   
  
As he surfaces with it Trent takes it from him and Clay grabs at him."No! No you need to sober up, that's what you need to do!" Clay turns guiding  him away from the cupboard and as he manages to wrestle himself away from Clay and Trent's grasp there's a loud thudding sound as he falls flat on his face, hitting the floor.

"Oh shit!" Clay sighs, rolling his eyes. He takes another deep breath watching him lying there "C'mon man you need to get up!"

"Oh my god" Trent laughs out loud "Where the hell's he been to get in this state? Cos this is _seriously_ drunk, even by Sonny standards"

"Would you believe it was pure luck that I found him." Clay frowns looking at the huge mound, of virtually unconscious Sonny, still lying on the floor. "I'd just been to that Emille's and they said they'd asked him to leave about thirty minutes before. Anyway, I was about to drive off when I saw a guy at the liquor store chucking him out the door into the street. Thank god I did, otherwise who knows where he'd have ended up!"

"Right, let's get him up then!" Trent frowns. He squats down beside him, double checking he does indeed have a pulse "Ready? On three!" They both put their hands under his arms and brace themselves to lift. Clay's a little unsteady, his injury sapping some of this strength   
  
"You okay?" Trent frowns "Let me take most of his weight. Don't overdo it. Ready...three, two one....lift! I got him... I got him. Clay let go. I'm alright."   
  
They groan, struggling between them, to lift his dead weight into an upright position. It's obvious he's not going to be able to hold himself up and so they both keep hold of him, supporting him Trent balancing most of the weight on his shoulder while they work out the best thing to do with him.

"Alright, let's get him in the shower first. That should sober him up quick and .." Clay sniffs "make him smell something better than he does "

"Yeah he does not smell good...that's for sure!" Trent frowns, the reek of body odor and stale booze filling his nostrils.

Clay checks his watch again, still conscious of the time. It's not long now until the disciplinary "Alright we got two hours to get to him sober and functioning. So, shower it is, followed by a gallon of coffee!"

They pull him, dragging his feet across the floor into the small bathroom "You got him ?" Clay sighs as he opens the glass sliding door on the shower. Trent nods as he takes Sonny's entire weight in his arms while Clay turns the shower on. Checking the water, he leaves it at lot cooler then would be comfortable.

He turns around and smiles, Trent looks like he's holding a large Sonny Quinn shaped rag doll "Alright Brother, let's do this!"

Trent holds him while Clay unbuttons his shirt. He grimaces at the sight of the stains down the front of it. _What the hell?_ he wonders, hoping it's not vomit. Then he manages to drag the tee shirt he's wearing underneath, up and over his head. Throwing both in a heap on the floor. He's now standing there wearing only his jeans and Clay looks at him. _Shit!_ he sighs at the effort required just to undress him this far.

He and Trent start to laugh out loud as Sonny struggles by himself, to try and undo the buttons on the fly of his pants but eventually Clay gives in, deciding he's going to have to help him if they're ever going to get him into the shower.   
  
"Sonny...Sonny leave it man. Let me do it" Taking a deep breath he takes hold of the top button and one by one he pops them open. Then as he nearly gets them undone Sonny's weight suddenly falls forward over him the top of him. He wraps his arms around Clay's body as starts to squeeze him in a bear hug _  
  
Aww!_ "No.. no Sonny don’t... _Awww!_ " he groans putting his hand to his side, holding his wound.

Luckily Trent manages to grab him. Pulling him back before he can do any serious damage "You okay?" He frowns

“Yeah..." He sighs " yeah, I’m good. Okay, c’mon Sonny lets go. Get your pants off and get in the shower. Now!"

They manage between them to pull his pants down to his knees and holding him, he manages a weird foot pushing way to struggle out of them and step out of the legs. His balance unsteady he nearly knocks them all over in the process. Clay and Trent both smile as they look at state of him standing there, nearly naked, wearing only his grey pattern boxer shorts. He can't stand still and is swaying from side to side and Clay now awkwardly looks at Trent

"Alright Sonny, time to take off your shorts!"

"What!?" Sonny looks at him staring, trying hard to focus on Clay's face. "You want me to what?"

"I want you to take your shorts off. This is as far as I go. You're gonna have to manage those by yourself cos I'm not touching them."

"Okay... okay!" He smiles "Clay, I got this buddy. I can do it!"

Trent's still holding him up, his arms under his armpits linking and around this chest as Sonny with some effort, pulls and tugs at the grey cotton material to pull them down but he only manages to get them over his butt.

 _Oh shit!_ Clay sighs.   
  
Checking the time Clay realizes the quickest way is going to be for him to give him a helping hand and so grabbing hold of the material either side he gives one quick swift tugging motion and pulls them down his legs.   
  
"Step!" He pulls them off, over his feet adding them to the pile of dirty clothing in the corner of the bathroom "Right get _in_ !" He points inside the open glass door to the shower. _Phew!_ He sighs sweating at how hard it's been just to get him into the water.

 _Fuck_! Sonny gasps out loud as the cool water hits his body. It's much colder than he realised _Fuck!_ "What the hell! Let me out, Clay it's cold!"

"Shut the hell up and wash!" Clay frowns, blocking the gap between the shower door and the bathroom as Sonny tries to get out. Realizing he can't he tries to adjust the temperature Clay shouting at him telling him to leave the water temperature alone. He sighs and does as he’s told.

"Sonny" Trent frowns "Put your head under, wash your hair as well!"   
  
Clay looks at Trent. They both start to laugh as they listen to Sonny continues to moan about the water, about them and about what he's going to do to them when he eventually gets out "You two better run cos your ass's are mine when I get outta here!"

"I'll go put a pot of coffee on. " Trent laughs "I think we're gonna need it"

"Yeah. Yeah we sure are!" Clay turns back to keep an eye, watching as Sonny now leaning against the wall closes his eyes with the water running over his head "Sonny, you alright man ? "

"Yeah !" Sonny sighs as the water starts to take effect and he starts to sober up. He opens his eyes and look out through the glass "Clay...thanks brother!"

"You're welcome. Now c'mon get washed, you need to get dressed and get some coffee into you!"

 

**o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o**

 

Clay sits on the bed waiting. He can hear Sonny still moving around in the bathroom. Listening since the shower water stopped to him swearing and cursing, a lot. He's also heard him at least twice retching and vomiting into the toilet.

"You okay in there?" he calls out checking on him

"Yeah....yeah I'm good!" Sonny comes to the door. He's wrapped only in a small white towel around his waist "How do I look?"

"Honest answer?" Clay smiles "Like shit!"

"Yeah thanks for that. You coulda lied ya know!" he smiles as he staggers into the room, crashing down backwards onto the bed beside Clay "I need to sleep!"

"No! No, you got no time for sleepin'. We need to make a move, and soon"

"Oh, what's the point, Clay. I know was gonna happen. Nothin' I do now will save my ass. Jason's got it in for me, I mean he wasn't even answering my texts last night. Believe me I sent a few"

"You sent texts?" He sighs concerned "Sonny, what they hell did you do that for?"

"I just wanted him to listen, tell him I didn't mean it, that I didn't wanna hurt no one. I just.. I don't know Clay. Man, I'm sorry, okay! I never meant for you to get hurt and if I could take it back I would, in a heartbeat. I just wish to god I'd never meet her. She got in my head man, I just.. I just felt sorry for her. "

"Sonny, it's okay. Look I 'll try an' talk, to Jason, before the hearing. Plead your case. Cos maybe he's going a little far with this. I mean it did all come right in the end"  
  
"Yeah but we still don't know if you're gonna be able to operate again, and that's my fault. Jason's right there. If I hadn't took my eye off the ball none of this would have happened."

"Hey.. they said I'm on the mend. Nothing that a bit of rest and rehab won't fix. Sonny, it's gonna be okay. But you need to turn up to that hearing today" He looks down at Sonny laid on the bed beside him. His eyes closed; the towel undone around his legs, exposing himself "But hey.... first priority.." Clay laughs "You need to put some pants on!"

 

**o-o-o-o-o-o-o**

 

Now dressed and to some degree functioning again, if only on a basic level. Sonny heads into the living room where Clay and Trent anxiously wait. "Hey how're you feeling now?"

"Yeah I'm alive. That's about as much as I can say. I got a jack hammer going off in my head but .. I've been worse" He looks at Clay as Clay frowns at him " No actually that's a lie. Take that back, Ive never been this drunk in my entire life. Oh man... do I feel like shit!"

"Right get this down you!" Trent hands him two small white pills and a large mug of black coffee. He smiles as Sonny's sad eyes look up at him from where he's sat on the couch.He takes a mouthful of coffee and swallows the pills. Waiting for a moment as they slide down his throat then he can feel himself want to retch again.

"Keep drinking!" Clay frowns watching him "We need to go soon."

"I can't go. I'm sorry man. I can't do this."

"Sonny you have to go. Hey c'mon man, you can't just give in like this. You have to go put your case, take your punishment whatever, but you have to go "

"Clay what's the point? What, ta listen as Jason tells me I'm finished. I can't do that. I can't listen to him tell me everythin I ever wanted is over"

"C'mon Sonny, this is not you. I always respected you but if you don't go to this and stand up for yourself, then were never gonna speak again!"

"He's right man" Trent sighs "You need to go do this. You can't just give in."

Sonny rubs his head, taking another mouthful of coffee "I can't drink that. If I do I'm gonna heave"

"Quit whining and get it down you!" Clay frowns at him annoyed as he checks his watch "We need to make a move. Last thing we need is to be late. Sonny, just drink the damn coffee!"

"Fine!" Sonny frowns "But what I wanna know is who the hell made you god today?!" he sighs rubbing his head. His brain feels like a huge heavy rock and he hardly dares to move "I'm tellin ya now it's not gonna do any good. My nine lives are up and I'm gonna need a miracle to get out of this"

 

**o-o-o-o-o-o-o-**

 

As they arrive at the base. Sonny's still moaning that he feels sick, but it's not from the drink this time. It's the churning anxiety of nerves in his stomach. "God I need a drink!"

"Yeah well that's not gonna happen. So shut the hell up. C'mon Sonny get it together man!" Clay sighs "And keep walking"   
  
He shoves him in the back pushing him forward into the locker room. Then sitting him down on a stool he finds him some clean uniform for him to put on. "Sonny you need to smarten up. Don't give them any excuse here. And then just state your case. Be honest. You fucked up and it won't happen again. You're sorry!"

Clay sighs and he looks up at the sound of the door opening. He takes a breath as Jason enters the room.

Jason's taken by surprise, he didn't expect them to be there and glares at the pair of them. Sonny's eyes drop to the floor, he can't even look but Clay takes the opportunity to speak   
  
“Jace, can I have a word?"

"This something to do with Petty officer Quinn?  Cos I'm not interested if it is, Clay!"

"Jason it's important, I need to say somethin"

"Oh, you know Clay, I think Sonny's managed to say enough for himself already. At the least in the numerous texts he sent me or... is he gonna tell me someone else sent them? Guess it was the booze talkin, hey Sonny? You managed to get sober there yet?"

Sonny gulps embarrassed he's not sure what to say "Okay yeah, I admit I was drunk man and I apologize. I shouldn't have... said what I said. This wasn't your fault, it was mine. I know that. I just wanna make it right Jason. Get back to how things were"

"How things were?" Jason laughs "Yeah that's not gonna happen. I got Ray in the hospital, still not sure if he's gonna recover and an operator down with Clay and that was your fault! You're an unprofessional mess. I mean look at ya even now! When you are here, you're hardly ever sober. So what? You expect me to do forgive and forget?"

"Oh, c'mon Jace man, that's not fair. This is not all Sonny's fault" Clay intercedes between them "I know you're worried about Ray, we all are, but Sonny wasn't responsible for that. How many times has he gotta apologize? The doctors said I'm gonna make a full recovery. I can forgive him why can't you?" He sighs staring at Jason "You know I wonder if this is even about Sonny or ... is this some way of you punishing yourself. A way to play out your anger. Are you just lashing out at Sonny? C'mon Jace give him some hell week or somethin then let this be an end to all!"

Jason takes a deep breath and looks at them both "Sorry Clay, it don't work like that. Besides I can't change anything now. I already submitted my report and made my recommendations. It's in Blackburn's hands now. So, it doesn't matter what I think anymore"

"Yeah but you could speak up for him. Tell Blackburn you over reacted. Jace please...you could cost him his career here!"

Jason stares at Clay then looks at Sonny sat with this head in his hands "You got ten minutes to be outside Blackburn's office. Maybe clean up first. I mean I can still smell the booze on you from here!"

"Jace...." Sonny begs to no response. Closing his eyes as the door slams shut _Shit!_ "That's it! See I told ya, I'm done for Clay!"

"C'mon just cos Jason wrote a report doesn't mean Eric's gonna can your ass. Blackburn's a fair man, he'll work out what's best. Oh, c'mon Sonny they're never just gonna get rid of an operator of your skills just like that" He frowns helping him stand up "Let's get you ready to go!"   
  
Clay tidies his collar, brushes his uniform down and then rummages in his own kit handing him some breath spray as he combs his hair over with his hand. "There! Well.... that's as good at its gonna get. Just nod and salute in the right places and apologize, lots, and you'll be fine!"

"Clay.." Sonny nods " Thanks man. And I'll .. I'll see ya around. I mean if this goes belly up then we can still be friends, right?"

"Sonny... there's no question about that. But hey, it's not gonna come to that. Brothers always. Never have it any other way. Jason will see that too. Now.... go be the man I know you are. Give em hell!"

Sonny nods scratching his head he takes a deep breath as he heads out of the door.

"You think he's gonna be okay?" Trent sighs   
  
" I don't know Trent" Clay frowns, biting his lip worried. "I'm guessing those texts didn't help. Jason still seemed hellishly mad. Which is never a good thing, for anyone!"

 

**o-o-o-o-o-o**

 

Sonny leans nervously by the wall outside Blackburn's office. He's all alone. It's quiet except for the sounds of his deep breaths as he tries to quell his queasy stomach hoping he doesn't actually throw up. He closes his eyes trying to think through what he's actually going to say. Then he hears it, the sound of heavy footsteps pacing towards him and he looks up. _Jason!_

He takes a deep breath and stands straight as Jason looks him over, neither of them say a word and before either of them can, Blackburn throws the door open. He stares out of the doorway at them both.  
  
They straighten up tall as they look at him.

"Sir!"

"Sir!"

"Master Chief Hayes..." he frowns at Jason "..I'll deal with you first"

Jason frowns at Blackburn’s tone but he steps forward and follows him into the office.

 _Shit!_ Sonny sighs. Relaxing again, taking up his leaning position against the wall. He was hoping to get this over with but looks like he still has to wait.   
  
_Oh hell man!_ he sighs, pulling his fingers through his hair as he accepting he's just gonna have to be patient.

 

**o-o-o-o-o-o**

 

"Sir!" Jason nods pulling out the chair in front of the desk.   
  
But just as he's about to take a seat Blackburn halts him "Don't sit. This is official, Jason!"

"Sir?" He frowns, staring at Blackburn. He stands to attention, something in his gut concerns him about the tone Eric's using to speak to him "What's this about? "

"Stand at ease" Blackburn rubs his head and sighs turning to look at Jason. He flicks open some of the files, filled with reports, that are lying on his desk " Oh ... what a mess this is! Jason, firstly I want to point out ... a lot of this stuff is not of my choosing. "

"Sir.." Jason frowns "did you um... read my official report, into what happened?"

Eric turns around, still shuffling the papers on his desk "Yeah I read your _official_ report, for all the good it'll do." There's a silence, for a moment, while Blackburn decides how to handle this.

"Sir...look I tried to explain the circumstances, make clear what the intention..."

 _"Stop!"_ Eric puts his hand up silencing  him "I don't need to hear your explanation. It really doesn't matter what you did or didn’t put in this...this _official_ report because _officially_.... this incident never even occurred!"

" What?" Jason frowns, confused "But Sir...what'd ya mean it _didn't occur,_ how so? I mean not being funny if it didn’t occur, then what about Commander Jackson? I mean the man was killed. They can't just write off the death of a commander like that. There were witnesses, the fleet, the Russians It's not something they can hide easily. I don't understand"

"Pirates!..." Blackburn ironically laughs. "Pirates, the fleet answered a distress call from, hijacked a fishing trawler that was using a Russian call sign. Once they boarded the ship... blah, blah, blah....you know how the story goes" Eric smiles "Luckily for them there was a Special forces unit operating in the area. They were dispatched and neutralized the threat!"

"What?! Is this a joke?" Jason laughs "That's how they're writing it off? No mention of biological weapons or even Russians?"

"No, no weapons. Not according to the report I've seen. No Russian involvement. I'm told from on high, that...that’s the way it has to be! We keep our mouths shut, don't question and get back to work"

"And what about our mad scientist. What happened to her? If this doesn't exist... then I take it, neither does she?"

"Officially, I know nothing about her or her whereabouts. However, I spoke to Mandy... off the record. She's still here in the state. They have her helping them... to some degree"

"To some degree?! What the hell does that mean?"   
  
"I don't know exactly, but then again she's the CIAs problem now. Mandy says she has some shit hot lawyers working her case. Which is why you’re standing where you are right now " he sighs "because somewhere in those negotiations, that are _not_ taking place. Bravo has come to their attention and seems that Agent Ellis needs some things straightened out, as part of the negotiations "

"So, Mandy's cut a deal with her, and what these issues, they involve Sonny? Jeez wept, now what the hell's he got us in to?"

"Look Jason ..." Blackburn sighs with a heavy heart "remember, this is just me passing the message along but .. look it would seem her lawyers are all over this, and if this incident had still existed then things might be very different right now, for both of us! So just count your lucky stars they canned this operation. Cos there's a world full of people out there just waiting to hang a tier one operator out to dry . The media are all over the tales of SEALS bad behavior right now, and they wanna see the Navy acting to stamp it out!"

"So what? Sonny was to be the scapegoat?"

"No, Master Chief..., I’m not talking about Sonny. It's your actions that have been called into question, not Petty officer Quinn!"

"What? My actions! My actions, what?? What the hell did I do wrong?" Jason frowns, confused “It was Sonny can't keep his dick in his pants.. that got us into this"

"Not according to the statement, she gave her lawyers." Blackburn shuffles the papers flicking another file open " Her lawyer, to quote.  _Master Chief Hayes conduct was on many occassions not appropriate._ And even though I fail to see, a mention of the incident they cite, on your _official_ report. They are alledging that you... to quote, _following an altercation with herself. Master Chief Hayes, locked Dr Renkov in a cold store facility. With no means of escape he had every intention of leaving her there to die!_ The lawyers ..."  Blackburn continues to read " deemed this an _illegal action._ Citing _rules of engagement laws_ _,_ and therefore, _considered unbecoming for someone of his position_." Blackburn sighs as he closes the file "Jason is this true or just something they're using to bargain with?"

 _Huh!_ Jason sighs rubbing his head. He and Blackburn stare at each other neither saying a word for a moment

"Jason did you do it? Did you lock her in a cold store for real?"

"What the hell? Why is this suddenly on me? " He takes a breath, pacing the room his hands-on hips _Fuck!_  
  
He stops and stares Blackburn in the eye "Yeah, yeah okay maybe .. maybe I did do that. But Eric... it was the only option I could see, on the ground, in the situation we were in, that would flush Vladim out."   
Her rubs his head " I needed to get him to give up his position. It was the only way we were going to get Ray back, alive!" he sighs again the two men just looking at each other "But _no_... no I didn't do it with the intention to kill her, I just... I just needed to shake things up a bit. I guess I pushed it to far, but that was the situation and ... well, we got her out in time" He sighs   
"What? So now I’m the bad guy all of a sudden. What about Sonny, what about what he did. The way he let her get hold of that knife, it allowed her to nearly kill Clay. What's Mandy doin about that?"

"Oh god Jason" _Shit!_ Blackburn sighs loudly, rubbing his head "What a mess. And as for Petty officer Quinn... well there are comments noted in the lawyer’s responses regarding his behavior."  
  
He opens another file up quickly reading the page "Firstly, the allegation in your report, that something went on between Quinn and Dr Renkov. Well... it's one she vehemently denies. In fact, she refutes there was anything at all between her and Quinn. The lawyers report even commends his swift actions saying; _Had he not acted under his own authority. Disobeying the order from Master Chief Hayes to leave her there! Dr Renkov believes had it not been for him returning to her that she would not have survived the ordeal._ They also want it noted, _on a personal level Dr Renkov would like to pass on her personal gratitude for those actions and for saving her life during the helicopter crash, where Petty officer Quinn showed unreserved bravery."_

" _Jesus Christ!_ " Jason gasps, astonished "Don't you see... there... that proves right there, that there was something between them. She's protecting him. Eric, can't you see what she's doing she's making me into the bad guy to save Sonny's ass, and you still think there was nothing between them. You can't seriously believe that bullshit? Even Sonny will tell you...did get him in here right now, make him tell you. This is bullshit Eric and you know it! She's playing them"

"Jason calm down. Like I said, luckily for you this is going nowhere, except some deep dark storage facility" he closes all the files on his desk and sits down " Mandy informs me they've done a deal. They won't press further action against you, in exchange for whatever it is that she's gonna give the CIA. Also on the understanding....that no formal action is taken against Petty Officer Quinn. Seems to me like she's trying to make amends there Jason."

“What so Sonny’s just gonna get away with this?" Jason frowns staring across the desk as Eric just stares at him "Oh no!! No... what the _fuck!_ Eric you can't be serious? Christ, he nearly got Clay killed, he put my team in jeopardy and you want me to just ignore that?"

"Look Jason I’m not saying you can’t deal with him. Just... that you need to keep it in house, below the radar. Look, whatever it is you're gonna do.... I don't wanna know about it!"

"This is madness! Get Mandy down here.. right now! I mean how the hell is a terrorist getting access to lawyers anyway and why are we even listening to this bullshit! Surely Mandy's not just gonna roll over and give in. For god sake she built a bomb to kill hundreds of people!"

"She didn’t, build a bomb, or at least from what I can ascertain they're saying in this report. According to this, it was down to Vinchenkov, she had nothing to do with it. Without Vinchenkov... her story holds up. She is according to the lawyers _merely an innocent victim. An American citizen who has thankfully been freed._ But as for a weapon, again... didn't happen!"

"I don't believe this!" Jason gasps laughing at the ludicrous situation " so she's not even being punished? " he frowns "No, no way! No way... whatever the hell she's giving Mandy it's gotta be good for this. I mean I spoke to Mandy, she knew the situation. No, I’m not buyin' that Mandy's handing her all this on plate. You're gonna be telling me next she's just going free?"

"Jason, I don't know what the hell is going on. Only the information contained in these reports. But .. she's not our problem now. CIA are dealing with her. As far as BRAVO's concerned, this whole thing never happened, and we move on. Do our jobs!"

"We move on... yeah well, tell that to Ray! Don't forget he's the one still lying in a hospital bed. Tell his family, his kids that this didn't happen! This is bullshit and I'm gonna find out what's gone on"

"No, no you're not, and that's a direct order. I've been told to put this to bed and that's what's gonna happen. Jason, c'mon, you know how this works. Ours is not to question, merely to serve!"

"So, what you're warning me now, to back off? That official?"

"Yeah that's official." Blackburn stands up and stares hard at him "Jason they got enough in this file to hang you, and bravo, out to dry. Don't give them that satisfaction. What I told you here, it's off the record. Now I'm gonna be recommending BRAVO stand down for a while. Give you time to get your heads together, get you team fit and then we'll move forward."

"I don’t believe this!" Jason laughs, shaking his head exasperated " So, what about Sonny. What're you gonna say to him?"

"You want me to speak to him? I can leave it with you if you'd rather"

"What you want me to commend his actions, thank him for saving her life. Not a chance in hell! No Eric, he can go fuck himself for all I care!"

"Jason ... c'mon. You’re just gonna have to let it go now. Stop beating yourself up over this. There were some bad calls all round on this op, but you're right, probably best if I speak to Quinn." He takes a deep breath, watching Jason rubbing his head " Is there anything else Master Chief?"

Jason laughs "You kidding, right! " he sighs staring Eric in the face "No! No, nothing else ... _SIR!"_

"Then you’re dismissed" Blackburn opens the door "Jason got get a drink, and let it go!"  
  
Sonny stands up straight as the door opens wide. He takes a deep breath as he sees the look on Jason’s face as he comes out of the room.  
  
 _Shit!_ He swallows nervously, closing his eyes for a second. Gathering himself together he wonders just how bad it's about to be. He takes a deep breath. Confused by the fact that Jason doesn't even look at him and just walks away.

"Petty officer Quinn!"

"Sir!"

"I ll speak with you now"

 

**o-o-o-o-o-o-o**

 

Clay waits at the bar.  "Oh and I'll have another beer  to go with that one" He says as he looks up seeing Sonny heading towards him "Hey!" He smiles "So... " he takes a breath looking at Sonny’s face trying to read his expression "how'd it go?"

"Well... " a broad grin breaking out across his face "looks like you're still gonna have to put up with my sweaty sock’s there, Goldilocks " He picks up the beer from the bar and swigs some back, "I must have an angel up there, that's all I can say... I'm still here, with bravo to tell the tale" he beams madly, drinking the beer down.

"Hey man..." Clay sighs "oh brother that's great news. So, Blackburn bought your apology?"

"Um .. not exactly, no! And off the record, Eric weren't none too pleased and in fact he reamed my ass pretty bad there. I also gotta probably endure some hellish beasting that Jason's yet to dish out but... the most important thing is, officially ... I'm in the clear!".

"Oh man..." Clay looks at him somewhat confused " that's... well um... No, that's great brother! You know, I seriously thought you were a goner there, for sure!"

"Yeah me-too Clay ... me too! I sure as hell never wanna feel like that again. So, from now on, I'm by the book. No missteps, no nothing. Hey, let’s get some beers in and celebrate. Sonny Quinn lives another day!"

Sonny turns to the bar to order and Clay pats him across the shoulders showing how pleased he is to have him back. "So, did they say what happened to you know... to Renkov, or anything else"  
  
"No nothin' Blackburn just said that the CIA are handling that side of things. I don't have a clue and I guess I don't need to know. Probably better all round, right?"

"Right. And you're okay with that. I know she meant a lot to you so... you gonna be able to let it go?"

"Yeah.... yeah sure. I ll be fine. Look it was dumb move by me and um... lesson learned. I’m off women now, for good" he laughs "Hey .. " he puts his hand up to the barman "get me some tequila. I’m in the mood to celebrate!"

As he turns to face Clay he finds instead it's Jason he's facing "Oh hey man! You wanna drink? You know let’s put this behind us"

"Celebrating are we Sonny? Yeah well don't get too comfortable." Jason smiles "You just bought yourself six weeks with green team. Oh and um...  I hear Captain Arnold is training CO these days. I also heard that you and he get on _real_ well" he grins as Sonny's face drops "I'd recommend that you lay off the booze, cos you know he runs a dry ship right?" Jason laughs hitting him hard on the shoulder "You can report there in the morning"

Sonny takes a breath; rolling his eyes as he looks at Clay who's smiling at him. "Jason..." he takes a breath "... thanks for that!"

"Don't thank me Sonny this isn't done, not by a mile "

"No.. but its start, right!"

"I gotta go see Ray. They said he's awake. Catch you later Spenser! Oh, and Sonny..... Arnold said to tell you, he wants your _scraggy ass_ there, by 0400!"

 _Shit!_ Sonny closes his eyes to the thought of six weeks with Captain Arnold, no drink and four am starts. _Oh welcome to hell!_

"Never mind Sonny" Clay smiles "We all know how much you love those early starts! And Captain Arnold hey?...Can't say I envy you that!" Clay laughs as he takes the tequila from Sonny's grasp " I think I better drink that for you!"

 

**o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o**

 

Sassi sighs a loud, tired sigh as she opens the door to the musty smelling apartment. There's barely anything inside. An old chair, a bed, table, stove and microwave. No carpet on the floor and some old packing boxes.   
  
She slumps down in a chair, dropping the bag and the files from her hand onto the floor.  She combs her hands through her hair.   
  
"Guess this his home sweet home now!" she sighs closing her eyes for a few minutes. The peace is suddenly  interrupted as her cell phone rings. She looks at the screen and answers it.

" _Dah!... Ya v poryadke! Skoro pogovorim_.... " she frowns listening " Yes, I know....did you not hear me, I said... I will speak to you soon!"

 

**THE END**

 


End file.
